SYDNEY (Reuters) - The owners of Melbourne Cup favourite Via Sistina have decided that the mare will not run in Australia's biggest race next Tuesday and will instead feature in the Champions Stakes at Flemington Racecourse the following weekend.
The seven-year-old became outright favourite for the "race that stops the nation" after a dominant victory in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last weekend.
Yulong Investments said in a social media post on Wednesday that Via Sistina would not run in the A$8 million ($5.24 million) handicap on Nov. 5.
"The Cox Plate has always been her main target, to win it is nothing short of a dream. Following this peak performance and after much consideration, it has been decided she will not contest the 2024 Melbourne Cup," the post read.
"We look forward to taking aim at the G1 Champions Stakes a week on Saturday."
Another of the early favourites for the Melbourne Cup, Jan Brueghel, was scratched from the race by Racing Victoria on veterinary advice on Tuesday.
A stewards report said scans indicated that the Irish stallion, who won the St Leger at Doncaster in September, was at a "heightened risk of injury" and "unsuitable to compete."
($1 = 1.5256 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
