Cup champ ruled out

Fairytale Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice has been ruled out of the 2025 edition.

As revealed by Betsy, the Queensland galloper has been caught up in the Macedon Lodge lockdown following the detection of the infectious disease strangles in an unraced three-year-old at the property.

Co-trainer John Symons confirmed on Tuesday that the six-year-old would not defend his title.

“He is sick anyway, he has got something, whether it be strangles or another virus,” Symons told Racenet.

“We won’t push on with him, regardless of what the tests say. We just haven’t got the time to get him ready for the Melbourne Cup, even if he could go back into work tomorrow.”

Further testing of horses at Macedon Lodge will take place this week, and Symons has not ruled out other stable runners featuring later in the spring.

“More horses are being tested on Wednesday and as far as I understand it, if they test clean on Wednesday and then again next week, they could let those horses go back to the races,” he said.