THE $2 million Sydney Cup, scheduled as the third of four Group 1s on the final day of the Australian Racing Clubs ‘the Championships’ was declared a no-race after Almoonqith faltered and fell just after passing the post the first time in the 3,200 metre contest.

With the Team Hayes-trained horse motionless and jockey James Doyle on the turf, with a leg injury, with Blake Shinn, who had been dislodged from Who Shot Thebarman in the process, stewards evaluated the possibilities over the next 60 seconds before ringing the siren and calling a ‘no-race’, deeming that the situation presented an unacceptable risk.

A number of jockeys heard the signal and eased their horses down whilst a handful kept going and raced to the line. Almoonqith’s injuries proved fatal. Racing New South Wales will switch the Warwick Farm meeting on April 22nd to Randwick in order to re-run the Sydney Cup which will also see entries reopened.