2025 Spring Racing Carnival over for Sir Delius

Star galloper Sir Delius has been ruled out of both the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate after Racing Victoria stewards, acting on veterinary advice, determined the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained runner was at an elevated risk of injury.

The decision follows a series of detailed medical examinations, including CT and PET scans of Sir Delius’ distal limbs at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre in Werribee this week. The scans were reviewed by an expert panel of imaging specialists from Australia, the UK, and the USA, who unanimously found that the five-year-old faced a heightened injury risk.

As a result, Racing Victoria Veterinary Services ordered his immediate withdrawal from both spring features, standing him down from further competition this carnival.

Sir Delius had been one of the headline acts of the season, featuring prominently in betting markets for both the Cox Plate (2040m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) after a pair of gritty Group 1 victories — first in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield and then in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

Connections had purchased the son of Galileo specifically to target both races, hoping to etch his name alongside some of the greats of Australian racing. But those ambitions have now been shelved until next year.

Racing Victoria’s stringent vetting process was introduced in 2021 following the death of Anthony Van Dyke during the 2020 Melbourne Cup. Since the introduction of mandatory pre-race scanning, there have been no fatalities in the race — a testament to the effectiveness of the new safety protocols.

Sir Delius’ withdrawal is expected to cause a significant shake-up in both Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate betting markets, with several rivals likely to shorten in price ahead of the final declarations.

To view updated odds and exclusive spring promotions, visit Australia’s top betting sites — the country’s most searched platforms for horse racing markets, tips, and offers this spring.