Efficient scratched from Cup
By staff writers and wires
November 07, 2006 MELBOURNE Cup day has begun with a dramatic twist today, with Victoria Derby winner Efficient ruled out of the Flemington Group I with a knee injury, reducing the field to 23 runners.
Just hours after favourite Tawqeet sent a scare through the punting field after pulling a shoe off his hoof, Efficient fell by the wayside, sending a huge shock through his camp.
Owner Lloyd Williams said Efficient had shown signs of soreness in his knee after a 400-metre workout this morning.
"He ran up over two furlongs this morning and when he cooled down he was sore in his knee,' Williams told Melbourne radio 927.
"It is a great disappointment, I thought we were going to be part of history."
Efficient was aiming to become the first three-year-old since Skipton in 1941 to claim the Derby-Cup double.
He began his racing career just 10 weeks ago when seventh in a Ballarat Maiden Handicap.
Williams still has two runners – Activation and Zipping – in the Cup.
eanwhile, the David Hayes-trained Tawqeet was inspected by vets this morning after concerns had been raised he may have injured his hoof after pulling the shoe yesterday afternoon.
Chief steward Des Gleeson said Tawqeet had trotted up in front of Racing Victoria chief vet John McCaffery.
"He showed no signs of soreness and we will have another look at him before the race but at the moment he is fine," Gleeson said, and Hayes still believes the Cup star has the goods to win today's feature race.
