English stayer Duretto is out of the Melbourne Cup with confirmation he has a stress fracture in a foreleg after a wide range of tests.
English stayer Duretto has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup with a stress fracture to his left foreleg.
The Andrew Balding-trained Duretto was lame after trackwork on Saturday and has undergone a wide range of veterinary tests.
The fracture was detected on Wednesday after a bone scan a day earlier failed to discover the injury.
Wednesday's examination included nerve blocks and X-rays and Balding has formally withdrawn the horse.
Dwayne Dunn, who rode Duretto to fourth in the Caulfield Cup, is now without a Melbourne Cup ride.