The 2014 Melbourne Cup celebrations for winner Protectionist have been tarnished by the tragic news that race favourite Admire Rakti and Araldo have both died.
Blinds up in front of the stall of race favourite Admire Rakti after he collapsed dead. Source: News Corp Australia
THE nation is in shock after the death of Melbourne Cup favourites Admire Rakti and Araldo cast a shadow over Australia's biggest race.
Last night, ABC's Lateline published footage of Admire Rakti immediately after the race, showing the seven-year-old stallion collapsing in its stall as its attendants begin to panic.
Some say warning bells were ringing before the race even began, with the horse clearly hesitant to participate.
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The seven-year-old is clearly struggling. Source: ABC
ABC's 7.30 obtained footage of Admire Rakti in the stalls after the race. Source: ABC
Admire Rakti Staff outside the screened off sables where the horse lay. Picture: Jason Edwards. Source: News Corp Australia
News of runner Araldo's death came several hours after suffering an injury it sustained on its way back to the stalls post-race, reports Fox Sports.
The incident occured when the stallion lashed out and kicked a fence after being spooked by a child waving a flag.
"Racing Victoria (RV) has tonight confirmed that Araldo has been humanely euthanised as a result of injuries sustained in a freak accident following the running of the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington today," read a statement by Racing Victoria.
"Araldo took fright on the path returning to the mounting yard when spooked by a flag being waved by a member of the crowd.
"In retreating, the horse kicked out and fractured a pastern bone in its hind leg on the fence bordering the path.
"The horse received immediate veterinary care and was transported to the University of Melbourne Veterinary Hospital, however, sadly the fracture in its pastern was not repairable.
"The owners made the decision to humanely euthanise Araldo in the best interests of the horse."
Earlier, viewers called news of Admire Rakti's collapse in his stall after coming in last during the iconic race "heartbreaking" and "hard to stomach".
Many said they could no longer support the event, with the Japanese horse's demise echoing that of Verema last year.
Some even called for a total ban on horse racing.
According to Ward Young from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, 125 horses lost their lives on Australian racetracks from Aug 2013 - July 2014, meaning 1 horse died every 2.9 days.
"From our perspective it's extremely concerning that the Melbourne Cup has resulted in the deaths of two horses," he told news.com.au.
"Today's events are a sad reminder of the dangers of horse racing, and more needs to be done to ensure the safety and welfare of horses.
"A clear start to this would be an end to reckless and cruel jumps racing which kills horses at 20x the rate of flat racing, and an end to two year-old racing and pushing horses beyond their physical limits with the whip."
Just minutes after Admire Rakti's death came reports that Araldo was fighting for his life with a broken leg.
Australians flocked to social media to express their grief and horror, saying they could not support the race any more.
Twitter users expressed horror over onlookers snapping photos of the screen shielding the dead Admire Rakti from view.
Many said they had boycotted this year's festivities for exactly this reason.
Animals Australia tweeted that Admire Rakti's death "highlighted the terrible pressure put on racehorses".
And other Twitter users shared links to Animal Aid's Race Horse Death Watch website, which says there have been 1170 deaths in 2794 days.
"Who cares about money?" asked one social media user, with those who have won bets finding their victories now have a bitter aftertaste.
Is this enough to turn the nation against the Melbourne Cup?
Admire Rakti's tragic death follows that of Verema last year, who snapped a bone in her leg. Nothing could be done to save the champion mare.
Admire Rakti, who only last month was the toast of Australia after rocketing home to claim the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, was eased out of the Melbourne Cup on the home turn, his jockey Zac Purton allowing him to walk across the line.
Soon after, he began to shake before collapsing in his stall.
Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said that on his performance, Admire Rakti would have been subject to a veterinarian inspection anyway.
Admire Rakti and jockey Zac Purton after the race. Source: News Corp Australia
He said the horse's owners were "very saddened" about the stayer's death. The horse will be taken to Werribee veterinary hospital for an autopsy to confirm an official cause of death.
A Fox Sports News presenter says the horse may have suffered a heart attack.
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses spokesman Ward Young said he was distraught another horse had died, especially given the size of the event.
But he said that while he was shocked by the news, he wasn't surprised, given the number of horses that had died on an Australian race track this year.
Admire Rakti was eased across the line, and was seen shaking before his collapse. Source: News Corp Australia
"He is one of 125 horses killed in the last 12 months during or after training or on the track," Mr Ward said. "That is a horse every 2.9 days.
"We think the real issue is over exertion and use of the whip."
Many social media users criticised Channel 7 for focusing on the fashion instead of the horse's demise.
Mr Ward said it was time the industry honoured the horse memory with a minute's silence rather than covering it with a green screen.
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