Cedarberg, a contender for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup, tragically collapsed and passed away following a routine trackwork gallop on Tuesday morning at Moonee Valley.
After completing a 1600m hitout, the BMW winner dropped dead.
Trainer Pat Carey mentioned that it was still early to verify claims that the stayer experienced a heart attack.
“Typically, I would think it could be something like a ruptured aorta, but the horse will undergo a post-mortem, and time will tell,” he stated in an interview with a Sydney radio station.
Cedarberg fell and collapsed between the 1400m and 1500m mark.
Fortunately, his jockey, Rhys McLeod, was unharmed.
A lightly-raced stayer, Cedarberg entered the spring scene after achieving a breakthrough Group I victory in the weight-for-age BMW on Golden Slipper day at Rosehill.
Having resumed over an unsuitable distance, he pleased Carey with his midfield effort in the Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington on August 6.
Rated a $26 chance to win the Caulfield Cup and a $51 hope for the Melbourne Cup, Cedarberg had been nominated to continue his campaign in a Moonee Valley race scheduled for Saturday.
“He was well positioned for the spring… the horse appeared quite forward in himself and looked in excellent health,” Carey remarked.
“We believed we were in a solid place to move forward.”
In addition to his BMW victory, Cedarberg secured three more wins and accumulated over $1.5 million in stakes.
by Buford Balony
