Maluckyday (left) chased home Americain in laty year's Melbourne Cup
PICTURE: Getty
12-1 shot Maluckyday out of Melbourne Cup
By AAP Racing/Mathew Toogood 10:19AM 15 SEP 2011
Australia: Last year's Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday, who was as short as 12-1 with Victor Chandler to go one better this year, is out of the spring carnival because of a virus.
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The son of Zabeel was rated one of the leading contenders for this year's A$6.2 million race at Flemington on November 1 but trainer John Hawkes confirmed his campaign was over. "He's got a virus and is going to the paddock," Hawkes told AAP.
Hawkes said the stayer had to be treated for the virus and the time-frame to the Cups made it impossible to have him ready.
Maluckyday rose to prominence last spring with wins in the Listed Tatts Club Cup and Group 3 Lexus Stakes earning him a place in the Melbourne Cup.
He beat all but the French-trained Americain in Australia's biggest race and was due to run in Saturday's Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.
