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Co-trainer behind Melbourne Cup report changes.
Co-trainer Mick Price has told Racing.com he believes the vastly different training facilities at Werribee compared to overseas should make Racing Victoria vets to impose more stringent assessments of overseas horses intending to contest future Melbourne Spring Carnivals.
On the eve of the expected release of RV's Melbourne Cup report recommendations, Price said it made sense that RV vets should be the ones to pass horses fit to travel, especially as such horses have to contend with vastly different training circuits and surfaces when they arrive.
Price said most European horses have access to much different surfaces than do the local stayers in Australia.
"To bring them to Werribee all of a sudden and get them around that track on a different surface, whether it be the Pro-ride there or the course proper, around the corners where it is so much different loading on them, it opens them up to injury," Price said.
"I know a lot of horses go to Werribee and come out of there and they are fine, but I think you have to adapt your work, especially to Werribee - it's the only quarantine and it's the only option.
"It's a big key to it. I know there are possible scintigraphy and MRI options over there and our vets over here to read information that is supplied to them from England or France or wherever.
"Our vets to read it, our vets to tick off on it."
The report, which has been compiled by RV and the Victoria Racing Club, is set to address deaths in recent years of overseas horses in the Melbourne Cup.
"No one wants to see any horse get hurt any time," Price said. "Specifically, those horses, they face a more difficult task. I know most of them are fine, but you sort of need zero problems with them.
"It is going to be more difficult for them over there to possibly go through MRI and scintigraphy and get it approved and get it ticked off. They are going to need their own passport.
"Then, when they get here, they have to learn how to use Werribee properly.
"It's a bit of everything and I can only speak from a horse-training point of view and I know that if you are loading your horse in one way and then all of a sudden bringing it to a different surface, it is fraught with injury potential.
"Even if I get a horse from other places that has had three or four years at one place and you bring it to Caulfield, I think you need to introduce it to the different tracks, like our polytrack is different to some other track they are going to use.
"I think that is one of the issues. I am not saying there are not more.
"The good thing, I suppose, is those who should be involved in getting it right are involved and the criteria is going to get better and better and better."
