Melbourne Cup contender Athabascan has been withdrawn following veterinary advice due to cardiac arrhythmia.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained stayer, who had earlier claimed second in the Sydney Cup this year, underwent inspection on Friday as part of routine pre-race vet checks.

“ECG reports and blood test results were subsequently reviewed by three independent equine internal medicine specialists, including cardiology experts,” Racing Victoria (RV) stewards stated on Monday.

They each advised that, due to the nature of Athabascan’s cardiac arrhythmia, further testing should be completed before the horse could be cleared for racing, in the interest of safety.

“Based on these expert opinions and additional information from the stable, RV veterinarians recommended Athabascan’s withdrawal from the 2024 Melbourne Cup to mitigate the risk of a cardiac incident,” the stewards noted.

With Athabascan out of the race, the remaining 23 Melbourne Cup runners were approved as fit to compete on Tuesday.

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