For those who grew up loving ‘the race that stops a nation’, the first Tuesday of November is becoming increasingly difficult to watch
The stallion Anthony Van Dyck was named after a 17th century Flemish painter. He was exquisitely bred. His trainer called him a “kind, sound, lovely natured horse.” “He’s very charismatic,” jockey Hugh Bowman said. With
Queen Elizabeth II looking on, he won the 240th edition of the Derby at Epsom. In a high-quality Caulfield Cup, carrying a lot of weight, he rattled home to narrowly miss.
Cantering to the barriers in the Melbourne Cup however, Bowman said he felt like a completely different horse. He’d drifted in the market. He settled just off the pace-setters, but was conceding ground at the three furlong mark. As the field turned, he stumbled, almost like he’d been pushed down a flight of stairs. Like many injured horses, his first instinct was to keep galloping. He reared, and speared Bowman off. He’d basically snapped his shin in half. Jockeys say the sound is a like a crack of a
baseball on a wooden bat.