Melbourne Cup horse deaths: List of runners that have died in The Race That Stops a Nation

The Melbourne Cup has never faced greater scrutiny and opposition, due to a tragic spate of horse deaths in The Race That Stops a Nation. Here are the horses that have fallen victim to the Flemington showpiece.

Tim Elbra

@hdelbs

2 min read

November 1, 2022 - 1:57PM

Hugh Bowman rides Anthony Van Dyck during the 2020 Melbourne Cup. The horse broke down and died. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images for the VRC

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Melbourne Cup 2022 will run with greater scrutiny than ever before, as opposition grows to The Race That Stops a Nation due to horse deaths in the 3200m showpiece at Flemington.

Six horses have died in the Melbourne Cup, and seven in total on Cup Day, over the past decade. Here is the list of fatalities.

2013: Verema (France)

Verema was a five-year-old French mare, owned by the Aga Khan. She suffered a broken leg during the 2013 Melbourne Cup and was put down on track.

Verema (green silks) was a fatality in the 2013 Melbourne Cup. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

2014: Admire Rakti (Japan)

Admire Rakti was a seven-year-old Japanese stallion that was a pre-race favourite in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. He suffered a massive heart attack back in the stalls after finishing last in the race.

Admire Rakti after the 2014 Melbourne Cup, in which it finished last then fatally collapsed. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

2014: Araldo (Great Britain)

Araldo was a seven-year-old British stallion that finished seventh in the 2014 Melbourne Cup. However, he was spooked on his way back to mounting yard and broke his leg on a fence, and was euthanised hours later.

Araldo (L) is tangled in the fence after the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Picture: AAP

2015: Red Cadeaux (Great Britain)

Red Cadeaux was a 10-year-old British gelding who broke down during the 2015 Melbourne Cup, only to walk free of the dreaded green screens on track. Yet it had suffered a leg fracture and was euthanised about three weeks later.

Jockey Gerald Mosse walks past Red Cadeaux as it fails to finish the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Picture: AAP

2017: Regal Monarch (Great Britain) – died in Race 4 on Cup Day

Regal Monarch was a five-year-old British bay gelding which broke down on the home turn and threw jockey Joao Moreira on Melbourne Cup day in 2017. It was taken from Flemington and later euthanised.

Regal Monarch after a fatal fall in Race 4 of 2017 Melbourne Cup Day. Picture: AAP

2018: The Cliffsofmoher (Ireland)

The Cliffsofmoher was a five-year-old Irish stallion that failed to finish the 2018 Melbourne Cup after an incident first time past the finishing post. He suffered a fractured shoulder and was euthanised on track.

The Cliffsofmoher pulls up with a fatal injury in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. Picture: AAP

2020: Anthony Van Dyck (Ireland)

Anthony Van Dyck was a five-year-old Irish stallion that was one of the pre-race favourites for the 2020 Melbourne Cup. He suffered a leg fracture entering the home straight at Flemington, was taken from the track and later euthanised.

Hugh Bowman aboard Anthony Van Dyck before the 2020 Melbourne Cup. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images for the VRC

**No horses died in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, though Tralee Rose (a Cup runner again in 2022) was taken to hospital after gashing its leg.

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