MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) &mdash Steeplechase and hurdle racing was suspended Thursday in Australia’s Victoria state after the deaths of three horses in two days
at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival. The deaths raised the toll to seven horses needing to be euthanized in less than two weeks in jumps racing in the state. The Warrnambool meeting features the Grand Annual, the longest thoroughbred race in the country, with 33 jumps over 3.4 miles. Racing Victoria announced the suspension Thursday, with a review pending. Clearview Bay had to be euthanized Thursday after falling during the Grand Annual. The nine-year-old suffered the same fate as Pride Of Westbury, who fell at the last jump and died in the Galleywood Hurdle on Wednesday. Pride of Westbury’s stablemate, Hassle, had to be put down after shattering a sesamoid in a hurdle race earlier on Thursday. “The RVL board has decided we need to have an urgent review of jumps racing,” Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines said after the running of the Grand Annual.
“We have asked the Jumps Review Panel to make a report to the board by early next week on the season so far and on all the incidents that have occurred. The RVL Board will be having an urgent board meeting next week and making a decision on the future of jumps racing and making a statement next week.”