Going to the races might seem like harmless fun. But hidden behind the glitz of racing are hundreds of dead racehorses. This is the story of just 5 of them.
1. Hazy Blur
Hazy Blur died only days ago. You won’t have heard about her death because it wasn’t in a big race like the Melbourne Cup. She broke her fetlock 500 metres from the finish line. She is just one of the racehorses that dies less than every 3 days on Australian racetracks.
2. Secret Stealth
Secret Stealth was 10. Years. Old. He won over $179,000 for his owners. But while racing in Cairns just a few months ago, he fractured his shoulder and was killed.
3. Da Vine Warrior
Da Vine Warrior was only 3 years old when his life ended. In his short career he had already been brought over from New Zealand to race in Australia, commenced on the track at just 2 years old in NSW when he was not skeletally mature. He collapsed and died of a cardiac arrest on a South Australian racetrack in September this year.
4. Caprivi Strip
While crowds were cheering on a winner at this year’s Cox Plate, on the same day at a different racetrack, Caprivi Strip suffered a massive internal bleed and died. Right then and there on the course.
5. Arwoc
Arwoc died in a jumps race at the start of Spring Carnival. He fell and broke his leg at a country racetrack far from the gates of Flemington. He was the 40th horse to die in jumps racing since Racing Victoria backflipped on their decision to end the sport in 2010.
While no official Spring Carnival events hold jumps races anymore, you can bet your ticket to the Melbourne Cup is paying for the continuation of this cruel ‘sport’ that’s banned on animal cruelty grounds in other states.
Glamorous, right?
These horses are just 5 of 116 racehorses who have died on Australian racetracks since the 2015 Melbourne Cup. And they are five good reasons to never place a bet again.
Wondering what you can do on Melbourne Cup Day without funding this cruelty? We’ve got you covered.
