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UPDATE: Cleveland has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup on vets’ advice.
The Irish-trained galloper, who had a $51 chance to claim the Cup, had earlier been cleared by Racing Victoria veterinarians.
New Zealand jockey Michael Dee was set to ride the horse from barrier No.23.
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Cleveland won last month’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup.
“Subsequent to passing his physical veterinary inspection earlier today, trainer Kris Lees has reported to stewards that Cleveland now has an elevated temperature and is not fit to take his place in tomorrow’s race,” Racing Victoria’s stewards said in a statement on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, Australian racing icon Damien Oliver‘s fairytale Melbourne Cup farewell may be over before it begins.
Racing Victoria stewards will make a call at 7.30am on Tuesday whether Oliver’s mount Alenquer is fit to enter the barriers for the 3pm event.
On Sunday stewards announced a farrier had found a bone bruise in Alenquer’s hoof.
A further inspection was conducted on Monday, but stewards are allowing the horse an extra day to recover and will inspect it again on race morning.
If Alenquer is scratched, Oliver will be without a Melbourne Cup ride in his farewell spring carnival.
The 51-year-old legendary jockey was booked to ride Alenquer ($51) for Michael Moroney in Tuesday’s $8 million Flemington feature.
Oliver will retire in December and was dreaming of adding a fourth Melbourne Cup to his trophy cabinet before riding into the sunset.
“It’s all timing but if I am going to have a ride I want to have a ride on a fit, healthy horse so if the horse is not right, he’s not right,” Oliver told The Age.
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“I have ridden in enough Melbourne Cups not to have a ride just for the sake of going around.
“I know it is my last, but I want the horse to be right if I am going to go there.”
Alenquer had drawn barrier nine on Saturday night and Moroney was spruiking the horse’s chances of claiming the Cup.
“We wanted to draw a single figure (gate), we just made it under so that’s good,” he told media.
“He has had a nice preparation for it, he is pretty much on target.
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“You never know until you try. If he can get the right run, and that draw will enable him to get a bit of cover, I think he can (win).
“We bought him for this race.”
Oliver rode Kalapour to victory in the Lexus Archer Stakes on Saturday to book its spot in the Melbourne Cup field, but Zac Lloyd scored that mount given Oliver was already booked on Alenquer.
