The grey was most recently sixth in the G1 Caulfield Cup and was found to be lame in his left front leg earlier this week after a Racing Victoria vet inspection.

”After this morning's RV inspections where Valiant King was found to be mildly lame post his work, we had our own vets this evening come back and inspect him and agree with RV's assessment as he remained slightly lame in the front left fore,” Kheir told Racing.com.

”He was due to be inspected tomorrow morning by RV, but regardless of the outcome, we have decided that we will withdraw him from the Melbourne Cup now to allow other connections on the cusp of getting into the race to make plans.

”Unfortunately for the ownership group, Joseph O'Brien and his travelling team its obviously very disappointing to get so close and stumble at this last hurdle.”

A maiden winner at Navan in May, the 3-year-old was also second in the G3 Ballyroan S. this August.

Kheir added, 'We have always said we believe he will be a talented horse in the future and by looking after him now, we will get the rewards in the autumn and sprint next year.

”We hope to target the [G1] Australian Cup back at Flemington provided he acclimatizes well in the capable hands of Chris Waller.

”RV communication and handling of the matter has been very professional and supportive.”

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The racing community is in mourning following the tragic news that much-loved jockey Dean Holland passed away on Monday.

The 34-year-old was involved in a fall during the opening race at Donald in country Victoria on Monday and died later that day.

Holland fell when his mount, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Headingley (Aus), who was racing in second place, clipped the heels of the leader Kumicho (Aus) as the runners turned for home in Race 1. Fellow jockey Alana Kelly was dislodged from her mount Time To Rumble (Aus), but was uninjured.

Holland was treated by paramedics on course and an air ambulance was dispatched, however, he could not be saved.

In a statement, Victoria Police said: “Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a jockey in Donald on Apr. 24. The male was riding in a race at a track on Racecourse Road when he fell around 1.30pm. He was worked on by paramedics but sadly died at the scene. Work Safe have been notified and will investigate. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”

Holland was married to Lucy and is a father to four children.

He won two Group 1s–the first coming in the 2010 Australasian Oaks aboard Small Minds (Aus) for trainer John Thompson. The biggest moment of his professional career took place just last month, with Holland called up late to replace Jamie Kah aboard In Secret (Aus) in the G1 Newmarket H. Holland wasn't overawed by the occasion and guided the star filly to a dominant victory, earning the praises of Godolphin Australia's head trainer James Cummings.

“I ran into Wayne Hawkes and he said to me, 'Don't you worry, you'll be fine with Dean Holland' and he rode the filly perfectly,” Cummings said post-race.

“I was so pleased for him. Didn't he do a good job? I'm very proud of him.”

Following Holland's death, Godolphin's Managing Director, Vin Cox told TDN AusNZ: “It's quite hard to put into words just how devastated we are hearing about this tragedy.

“He was a gifted horseman, but most importantly, a principled young man of the highest quality.

“We are absolutely gutted at Godolphin to hear this news and will do everything we can, with the racing community, to support Lucy and his beautiful young family.”

Holland rode 43 winners for top country trainer Paul Preusker and together they won the G2 Adelaide Cup in 2019 with Surprise Baby (NZ).

“It's an awful shock, I can't believe this has happened,” Preusker told TDN AusNZ.

“He was a champion bloke with a beautiful heart.”

Another Group 1-winning jockey, Dean Yendall, rode against Holland regularly and was a good mate of his.

Like many, Yendall was distraught when speaking to TDN AusNZ on Monday afternoon.

“All I can really say about this is why him? He was such a lovely person. I've known him from day one, even before he even started riding, when he was going to the races with his dad Darren,” Yendall said.

“He's gone and left a young family without a father and husband to his wife Lucy.”

Holland commenced race riding in his native South Australia in December 2005 and piloted his first winner at Ceduna (Aus) on Jan. 14, 2006. He went on to ride more than 1075 career winners with those victories predominantly coming in Victoria and South Australia, along with the Northern Territory and Tasmania. His last visit to the winner's circle was Apr. 20 at Ararat, where he rode a double.

Holland was enjoying a stellar season, with 82 winners in Victoria, which was good enough for fourth on the Victorian Jockeys' Premiership Table.

Racing Victoria (RV) Chief Executive, Andrew Jones, said: “On behalf of the Victorian racing industry, I would like to extend our prayers and heartfelt condolences to Dean's partner Lucy, his children, his family, friends and colleagues on the incredibly sad news of his passing.

“It was a tragic accident at Donald and we are all deeply shocked and saddened that Dean has passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the fall.

“Dean was a gifted lightweight rider who won over 1000 races and was highly respected by his peers. He showcased his immense talent on the biggest stage last month when winning the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

“Dean's passing is heartbreaking for all within Victorian racing and the sport nationally. It is a sobering reminder of the immense bravery of our riders.”

Victorian Jockeys' Association (VJA) Chief Executive, Matt Hyland, said: “The VJA and our members are incredibly saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend Dean Holland and extend our heartfelt condolences to his partner Lucy, his four children and his wider family.

“Dean was a much-loved member of the riding group here in Victoria and when he travelled interstate, and his fellow riders will all be shattered at the shock news of his passing as we at the VJA are.

“Together with Racing Victoria, the Jockey Assistance Program will be wrapping its arms around the riding group and will be working to support Lucy and the Holland family both now and importantly into the future.”

RV and the VJA are working together to support the Holland family, the racing community and industry employees with counselling and support.

Members of the Australian racing industry are encouraged to utilise the free, confidential counselling service STABLELINE on 1300 530 122 if they are in need of support at this tragic time.

RV, following consultation with the VJA, has determined that Tuesday's ANZAC Day race meetings at Flemington and Moe will not proceed as programmed out of respect to Dean and the Holland family.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Holland's family.

We will miss his beautiful G1 smile. RIP Dean

Sending our love to Lucy and the kids and his parents Belinda and Darren. pic.twitter.com/JK0m37g1T2

— John P Thompson (@JTRacingRwik) April 24, 2023

We are saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Dean Holland.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Lucy and their four children. Dean was the ultimate professional who was loved by many and will be deeply missed.

Dean after winning the Newmarket Handicap aboard #InSecret. pic.twitter.com/ang9ivNSDX

— Godolphin (@godolphin) April 24, 2023

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Introduced in 2021, the world leading safety standards are part of Victorian racing's effort to minimise the risk of injuries, particularly among international horses travelling to compete in Victoria and for all horses contesting the Melbourne Cup.

The safety standards are reviewed regularly and in determining this year's veterinary protocols, RV conducted a review of their application in the 2022 Spring Racing Carnival – the second successive without a serious incident.

RV's working group, which includes integrity, veterinary, equine welfare and racing experts, also considered feedback from a broad range of stakeholders including Australian and international private veterinarians, regulatory veterinarians, trainers, jockeys, owners, primary service providers, and Victoria's racing clubs.

Upon recommendation of the working group, the RV Board endorsed updates to the following veterinary protocols for international horses seeking to travel via the Werribee International Horse Centre (WIHC) and compete in Victoria in 2023 and beyond:

a) Radiographs (X-Rays) will no longer be mandatory but may be directed to be undertaken at the discretion of RV. X-Rays are now primarily suggested as a screening tool for connections before progressing to advanced diagnostic imaging. A pre-travel CT or MRI scan remains mandatory for each international horse

b) The pre-travel inspection and imaging window will now open Aug. 1 for all international horses and close one week prior to a horse entering pre-export quarantine (dates to be determined based on horse shipments)

In addition to the endorsed changes to the 2023 veterinary protocols, the RV Board, on advice from the working group, also determined:

• A requirement for improved operational communication methods and processes to enhance the experience of connections completing the veterinary protocols. This will include the appointment of a case manager for international contenders
• A renewed focus on attracting Japanese horses to Melbourne for future editions of the Spring Racing Carnival, by improving the understanding of the veterinary protocols by Japanese trainers and owners
• All international horses, including those travelling on a one-way ticket, will remain in WIHC until Champions S. Day Nov. 11 or until after their last Spring Racing Carnival start if earlier

The Victoria Racing Club also announced that nominations for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, scheduled for Nov. 7, will close in early September for all horses. The nomination dates for the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup are expected to remain in early August when finalised.

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Di Arbuthnot, chair of the IFAR Steering Group, said, “For the past two years, our conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am looking forward to being able meet again in person as we all work together to share success stories and best practices when it comes to equine welfare. The question of what happens to racehorses after they leave the track is a global one, and the importance of IFAR only continues to grow.”

For more information and how to register, please visit the ARC website.

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Racing Victoria's statement read as follows: “Upon recommendation of the international working group, the RV Board has endorsed the use of scintigraphy scans in a targeted manner from 2022 onwards for international horses entering Victoria via the Werribee International Horse Centre, as opposed to a blanket order.

“The RV veterinary team will focus the use of scintigraphy scans on international horses where their mandatory CT or MRI scans; veterinary history; racing history; and/or pre-travel inspections indicate that the horse may be at a heightened risk of sustaining a serious injury.

“The change aligns European horses with Japanese horses, where a discretionary protocol was in place in 2021 due to the absence of such technology in Japan.

“The adoption of a targeted approach considers both the benefits and challenges on utilising scintigraphy scans on racehorses in active training, along with analysis of scintigraphy results from the 2021 Spring Racing Carnival and of ongoing research into the prevalent causes of serious injuries in racehorses.”

Racing Victoria's Chief Executive Giles Thompson added, “When we introduced the new veterinary protocols last year we committed to a thorough process after the Spring Carnival to review their implementation, consider any learnings and participant feedback and to understand any advancements in technology research that may be of further benefit.

“Our international working group recommended that to remain at the forefront of safety in world racing, Victoria should continue the mandatory CT or MRI scanning of all international horses travelling to Australia and CT scanning of all horses, both local and international, prior to the Melbourne Cup.

“They also recommended enhancements to our protocols through an increase in the number of pre-travel veterinary inspections for an international horse and the introduction of new gait analysis technology, along with enhanced veterinary oversight of horses travelling to Australia via alternative quarantine centres.

“Upon review of the use of scintigraphy scans, it was determined that they now be used in a discretionary manner by our veterinary team in circumstances where the mandatory CT scans; veterinary history; racing history; and/or pre-travel inspections of any international horse indicate that it may be at a heightened risk of a serious injury.

“In doing so, our vets will remain vigilant and not hesitate to use a scintigraphy scan where needed to protect the safety of horses and riders.”

He added, “In making this announcement, I would reiterate that we remain focused on attracting the best horses, trainers and jockeys to compete in Victoria, as we do on ensuring that those visiting compete safely and return home in good health.

“International participation has been a feature of our Spring Racing Carnival for close to 30 years, and the win of State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last year's G1 Cox Plate demonstrated both the competitiveness of international horses in our elite races and their ability to travel here, satisfy our veterinary protocols and perform at an elite level.”

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One of these new measures was a precautionary CT scan of all runners in the days leading up to the G1 Melbourne Cup–a target that hit the skids when Racing Victoria's new $1.27-million CT unit suffered a malfunction with the Cup field only half scanned, leaving the rest to be X-rayed (with a machine that was also temporarily incapacitated).

But other, less-mechanical incidents highlight some of the more nuanced problems that come with using sophisticated–and still yet relatively new–imaging technologies to diagnose lameness in equine athletes.

Despite the results of a mandatory CT scan that gave French import Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) the all-clear to train up toward the G1 Cox Plate, Racing Victoria's veterinary team scratched him on the eve of the race–a diagnosis that jarred with the horse's connections, who declared him sound.

In a further twist, Gold Trip was given the all-clear to run in Sydney in the Rosehill Gold Cup just a week later–only to be scratched once more due to the prevailing firm going.

In short, as more and more regulatory veterinarians turn to imaging modalities like MRI, PET, and CT to help diagnose lameness, they're left to wrestle with slippery conundrums.

What clear connection exists between the image before them and an increased chance of injury in the horse, for example? And without an extensive historic medical record at their fingertips, how can they be sure that any possible abnormality that appears on the image is significant?

A new standing MRI-focused study set to launch in Southern California seeks to provide some much-needed answers.

“Lameness is a precursor to fetlock failure, and maybe we find bone changes that help us identify lameness. But we should never get to the point where the fetlock fails–we want to do better than that. And that's the goal of the study,” said Florida-based John Peloso, the lead researcher on the study.

“We need to figure out when they're helping us,” Peloso added, of imaging modalities like the standing MRI. “We need to learn more.”

Standing MRI | UC Davis photo

Participants in the study–which is funded by the Dolly Green Research Foundation and the Southern California Equine Foundation–will be split into two.

There will be 23 case horses whose lameness has been narrowed to the fetlock region, and 23 control horses who exhibit no visible sign of lameness.

The 23 case horses will be selected by Dr. Tim Grande, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB)'s chief official veterinarian, from a variety of scenarios where regulatory veterinarians commonly have to intercede in a horse's training or racing program.

These include a morning or race-day scratch, a voided claim, and lameness in the test barn or following a scheduled work or race.

The control horses–those with no visible lameness–will be selected as a comparative match in terms of things like sex, age, and class.

If a case horse is picked from a race, then the winner–if sound–will make an obvious control match. If a case horse is selected after a workout, then a suitable match will be selected using PPs.

And what exactly will the researchers be looking for? The answer encompasses four specific areas of concern within the fetlock joint, the primary site of musculoskeletal injury in racehorses.

Researchers will be looking for density within the proximal sesamoid bones and distal cannon bone, bone marrow edema–or swelling–in the cannon bone, and palmer osteochondral disease, a type of bone bruising commonly referred to as just “POD.”

To elaborate on these points, Peloso pointed to a couple of relatively recent papers he had co-authored connecting important diagnostic dots.

Two issues associated with fetlock failure are high density–noticeable bone development that predisposes a horse to a greater risk of fracture–in the sesamoid bone and palmer osteochondral disease, while condylar fractures are linked to bone marrow edema and high density in the distal cannon bone.

“It's because of those two papers that we've dialed in on those bone changes,” said Peloso. “Maybe the study will teach us something new, and so, there'll be something that gets added to it.”

The standing MRI unit has been part of the Southern California backstretch furniture since the start of last year. Since then, the unit has been used to scan hundreds of fetlocks.

Nevertheless, as a relatively newfangled diagnostic tool, the MRI is still looked upon with a touch of skepticism by some corners of the backstretch community, including attending veterinarians, admitted Peloso.

As such, this study is seen as an opportunity to increase the volume of MRI equine traffic. “It needs to be a real relationship so we can do best by the horse and best by the owner,” Peloso explained, before looking at the broader implications from this and other such studies.

“It'll be interesting to see to what degree some of these imaging modalities–PET, CT if it makes it, MRI–what role they play to help the regulatory veterinarian identify who's safe and who's not safe.”

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The 5-year-old gelding, who is owned by Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, was second to the star stayer Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in the July 27 Goodwood Cup prior to finishing seventh in the Ebor H. Earlier in the season, he had hit the board in Meydan's G2 Dubai Gold Cup.

“To some extent it was good that it was picked up so early but again really disappointing for the connections,” said Racing Victoria's International General Manager Paul Bloodworth. “I mean, six days before the race, it's really heartbreaking for them.

“The good news is that it is not a serious injury, if you like, for the horse's overall welfare. It just needs time to recover and if they chose to, the horse could race again later in the year.”

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The group was found to have attended a gathering at an Airbnb on Wednesday evening. Racing Victoria suspended each of the four jockeys through Nov. 25.

“I want to apologize for my recent behavior in breaching the government and racing Covid rules,” Kah wrote on Twitter. “I am deeply embarrassed and disappointed with myself. There is no excuse for what I have done and I have let myself down, my family and friends, the racing industry and all Victorians who are doing the right thing in this lockdown. I deserve the penalty handed down by the stewards and will take time to reflect on my actions and its impact on so many people.”

Read more at skysports.com.

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The investigation remains ongoing, and both individuals were released in the afternoon pending further enquiry.

“Victorians are well known for their love of sport but equally they want to know that the playing field is fair and honest,” said Intelligence and Covert Support Command Superintendent Steve White. “I can assure the public that Victoria Police take matters of corruption in sport seriously. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to target, disrupt and apprehend people who commit these offences.”

Read more at racing.com.

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With her victory aboard Deep Speed in Race 2 on Saturday, Kah surpassed the previous record of 99.5 winners – a tally which included a dead-heat – set by Brett Prebble in the 1999-2000 season.

Racing Victoria (RV) Chairman, Brian Kruger, has paid tribute to Kah on her achievement and the mark she has made on Victorian racing since relocating from South Australia in January 2019.

“On behalf of Racing Victoria and the broader Victorian racing industry, I would like to congratulate Jamie on reaching this historic milestone of 100 metropolitan wins in a season at Caulfield today.

“We are truly blessed to have witnessed the feats of some incredible jockeys here in Victoria throughout history and for Jamie to tread where no other has is something that she should be incredibly proud of.

“The greatest part of Jamie's achievement is the manner in which she has gone about it through hard work, dedication and a willingness to challenge herself to be the best she can be.

“Jamie is a humble champion and a wonderful ambassador for Thoroughbred racing. She epitomizes everything that is great about our sport – a love of the horse and an opportunity for all to compete on a level playing field.

“Jamie is inspiring the future stars of our sport, both through her incredible achievements in the saddle and the way she conducts herself. She is a wonderful role model for those embarking on a career in racing.

“We are privileged to be able to watch Jamie showcase her talents week in, week out here in Victoria and we look forward to following her career as she chases more success in the seasons to come.”

RV has commissioned a commemorative poster in Monday's Herald Sun to celebrate Kah's milestone and will formally recognize her achievement at the season-ending 2020-21 Victorian Racing Awards.

Saturday's milestone capped a memorable two months for the 25-year-old, who also recorded her 1000th career win at Sportsbet-Pakenham on May 12 and became Australia's most successful female jockey in Group 1 races landing her sixth title aboard Vega One in Queensland's Kingsford Smith Cup on May 29.

Kah has a further five metropolitan meetings in which to add to her record-breaking tally for the 2020-21 racing season.

Kah, who will officially claim her first Victorian metropolitan jockeys' premiership when the season concludes at The Valley on July 31,  2021, led her nearest rival Damian Lane by 37 wins after posting her 100th winner.

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