Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s stayer Oceanex will undergo a veterinary examination on Friday to determine her fitness ahead of Tuesday’s 2020 Melbourne Cup.
Speaking to RSN on Thursday, Price reported that his mare was “not 100 per cent in her action”, and that she had undergone a vet inspection from Racing Victoria’s Dr Grace Forbes.
They felt that the issue was ‘foot related’ and that they would be changing the Andrew Ramsden winners’ shoes before Friday’s vet inspection.
Melbourne Cup ticket booked ✅
Oceanex outstays them in The Andrew Ramsden. 💪 #RoadToTheCup
🎥 @Racing pic.twitter.com/uiCf0kW11t
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) May 16, 2020
“We trotted her up with Dave Shepherd, who’s been Oceanex’s vet since she was a yearling, and we both agreed she’s not 100 percent in the action,” Price said.
“So we’re going to change the shoes on her, and there’s another inspection which will happen at lunchtime tomorrow (Friday).
“Conformationally, she’s a little bit flat-footed, and gets a bit low on the heel. But she’s never had a day of unsoundness in her life, she jars up on firm tracks as a lot of those horses do.
“I think it’s just got to the point, 4-5 days from the Melbourne Cup, it rears its ugly head. We just need to address it. Hopefully by this time tomorrow with a change of shoe-ing… I think it’s a heel issue as such, I don’t think it’s an abscess at all, we’re not getting an acute response from one spot as such.
“We’re getting sensitivity in both heels, mainly off (right) front.”
Oceanex is currently a $61 chance for the 2020 Melbourne Cup.
