The racing career of stakes-winning galloper Rothesay has been cut short because of a second bleeding attack.Rothesay was looking to get his spring campaign back on track in the Jim Beam Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday but after travelling sweetly to the home turn, the entire weakened in the straight to finish unplaced.The four-year-old returned to the mounting enclosure with blood in both nostrils.Under the rules of racing in Australia a horse that bleeds will incur a mandatory three-m

The racing career of stakes-winning galloper Rothesay has been cut short because of a second bleeding attack.

Rothesay was looking to get his spring campaign back on track in the Jim Beam Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday but after travelling sweetly to the home turn, the entire weakened in the straight to finish unplaced.

The four-year-old returned to the mounting enclosure with blood in both nostrils.

Under the rules of racing in Australia a horse that bleeds will incur a mandatory three-month ban and if it happens a second time they are banned for life.

The son of Fastnet Rock bled for the first time in last year's Roman Consul Stakes.

"I wasn't aware that he bled but in saying that, coming to the home corner I just thought 'how far is this horse going to win by', he was travelling that well," jockey Rod Quinn told stewards.

"I put him under pressure for about 100 metres and then he just disappeared underneath me so I thought something was wrong, but I didn't know he bled."

Rothesay's ban capped off a terrible day for trainer Gerald Ryan after Intertidal broke down in an earlier race and had to be euthanased.

Ryan was in Melbourne to watch Melito contest the Group Two Schweppes Stakes at Moonee Valley where she finished fifth behind the brilliant Black Caviar.

Rothesay announced himself as a potential star during this year's Brisbane winter carnival when he toyed with his opposition to win the Group Three Lord Mayors Cup and Group Two Queensland Guineas in consecutive starts.

He returned with a second to More Joyous in the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill last month but then had his campaign derailed with a virus, ruling him out of the Epsom Handicap.

While the news wasn't good for connections of Rothesay, jockey Kerrin McEvoy was all smiles after guiding Parthian to a half-head win over Tromso and Macknuckle.

Rothesay finished seventh.

McEvoy only made his comeback to race riding at Canterbury on Wednesday after spending four months on the sidelines after fracturing a vertebra in his back in a fall at Gosford in June.

Darley's number one hoop said his confidence was coming back quickly and declared he was ready to compete with the best during Melbourne Cup week which begins next Saturday at Flemington with Victoria Derby day.

"It's always good to roll in the winners, next week is the big week and I'm feeling good now and looking forward to it," McEvoy said.

"I'm not expecting all the rides from Darley down there in Melbourne but my fitness is at a good level where I can go there and compete and compete at my highest."