English St Leger winner Scandinavia has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup and won’t race again in 2025.
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien confirmed overnight that Scandinavia’s northern hemisphere season is over despite the three-year-old’s campaign springing to life with recent Goodwood Cup and St Leger victories.
O’Brien said the American-bred son of Justify won’t be among the first acceptors for the $10 million race when an updated entry list is completed on Tuesday.
“He’s not going (to Australia), he’s finished for the year and will be trained for the (Ascot) Gold Cup next year,” O’Brien said.
Scandinavia was given 55.5kg when Melbourne Cup weights were released last week.
This was 0.5kg more above the minimum weight than two of O’Brien’s previous St Leger winners, Kew Gardens (2018) and Jan Brueghel (2024), were allotted in the Melbourne Cup.
Jan Brueghel shaped as O’Brien’s best chance for a maiden Melbourne Cup win but controversially missed the race because of a Racing Victoria ruling on veterinary grounds.
A CT scan revealed a weakness in a lower leg, which stewards claimed would increase the risk of injury if Jan Brueghel were to run in the Cup.
O’Brien described the decision as “ridiculous”.
“It was unlucky for us, lucky for (the other Cup runners),” the trainer said in response to Jan Brueghel’s withdrawal.
Scandinavia was among the overseas contingent vying for Melbourne Cup favouritism.
He was among three Ballydoyle horses nominated, including Mount Kilimanjaro and Aftermath. It is believed that those two horses will aslo not travel to Australia.
In their absence, Al Riffa, who is trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph, heads a revised market at $5 from the Underwood Stakes winner Sir Delius at $6.
Al Riffa, a son of Wootton Bassett, the Coolmore sire who will leave a huge hole in the dual hemisphere stallion ranks with his death on Tuesday, booked his Australian trip with a last-start win in Ireland.
Now racing in the silks of Melbourne Cup-winning syndicator Australian Bloodstock, Al Riffa underlined his credentials with a powerful win in the Irish St Leger.
Bren O’Brien
