COMPLETE autopsy results from Japanese horse Admire Rakti are not expected until next month.
Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said preliminary results indicated Admire Rakti, which collapsed and died in its tie-up stall about 20 minutes after the Melbourne Cup, showed he died of natural causes.
Tests are still being conducted at the University of Melbourne veterinary hospital in Werribee.
RV chief veterinarian Dr Brian Stewart said the day after the Melbourne Cup that preliminary reports suggestedAdmire Rakti, the favourite for the Melbourne Cup, died of heart failure.
Bailey said stewards questioned and accepted the explanation from Zac Purton over the different riding tactics from the Caulfield to Melbourne Cup on Admire Rakti.
He said Purton explained that the horse got much further back than connections had hoped in the Caulfield Cup after being beaten out of the gates and he added the horse then was shuffled back by other runners in the rush to the first corner
Bailey said in the Melbourne Cup the horse jumped on better terms and was able to take up a desired position in the leading division with the longer run to the first turn.
“Purton said his pre-race instructions in the Melbourne Cup were to be running in the first six were consistent with the horse’s overall racing pattern in Japan,” Bailey said.
“In all circumstances we are satisfied with the riding tactics of Purton in the Melbourne Cup.”