Prominent European pundit launches vicious tirade on Racing Victoria following Jan Brueghel bombshell

Prominent European horse racing pundit Kevin Blake has launched a tirade on Racing Victoria (RV) follow Tuesday’s decision to scratch Jan Brueghel from this year’s Melbourne Cup.

RV vets made the call to rule the Aidan O’Brien-trained stayer out of the race after an issue arose in his pre-Melbourne Cup scans which were taken out at Werribee on Saturday.

RV vets believed Jan Brueghel’s scans showed that the talented northern hemisphere three-year-old is “currently at heightened risk of injury”.

Reacting to the news, Blake took to X to absolutely slam RV and their treatment of international competitors.

Blake believes the “ridiculous decision” runs deeper than just horse welfare, suggesting RV has a hidden agenda against international horses coming down to Victoria to race in our prestigious races.

“The Jan Brueghel debacle might make more people wake up to the disgrace that Racing Victoria’s treatment of international competitors has been for over three years now,” Blake said.

“This is not a reaction to what happened yesterday as that was just the latest in a long line of similarly unjust and ridiculous decisions from Racing Victoria in this regard. The article below was written in April 2021 in the days after the overhaul of the rules were announced and the questions raised in it are just as valid today.

“Don’t be so naive as to believe that this is all just about horse welfare. I am familiar with multiple horses that failed the vet checks when trained in Europe, but having been subsequently switched to Australian-based trainers were miraculously cured of what ailed them in time to be allowed run in big races in Victoria including the Melbourne Cup. It is one rule for international trainers and another rule for local trainers, even when dealing with the same horse. How can anyone stand over that?

“We are all on the same page regarding the absolute importance of horse welfare, but Racing Victoria have pushed far beyond reasonable measures. They are in effect implementing protectionist policies under a veil of horse welfare concerns. No racing jurisdiction on the planet treats international competition like this and it has to be called out for what it is.”

Reacting to the news overnight, O’Brien reluctantly accepted the decision but conceded he was confident his horse was fit enough to compete in our 3200m feature.

“No, everything was perfect,” O’Brien told Sky Sports.

“He went through all the hoops, he had all the scans, and then there was another scan he had to do down there.

“Our vets looked at them and said they were fine, but the Australian vets weren’t happy with them.

“We’ll get him back, regroup and we’ll see if we can take him to Hong Kong for the mile and a half and go from there.”

“UNLUCKY FOR US, LUCKY FOR THEM”: AIDAN O’BRIEN BELIEVES JAN BRUEGHEL WAS A MELBOURNE CUP “HANDICAP BLOT”

Furthermore, O’Brien feels the decision made by the RV vets was more of an opinion rather than an objective view, but he has to accept their judgment.

“Most scans are a view or an opinion,” he added.

“He had the most rigorous scans he could go through and then another scan in the last few days. He’d never trotted better or moved better, everything was perfect, but they said there was a little shadow on the front leg and on the hind leg.

“Horses have fissures, very few turn into fractures. It’s probably gone a little bit ridiculous, but that’s the way it is.

“It comes a point where it becomes a little bit ridiculous. They’re the rules, that’s their decision.

“Like I said, it was unlucky for us, lucky for them.”