Ethical Diamond appeared to have all of the attributes you would want to see in a potential Melbourne Cup winner as he recorded a decisive success in the Ebor Handicap at York on Saturday. He travelled sweetly, had the tactical speed to pick his way through the field in the straight and then a sharp turn of foot at the business end to put the race to bed a furlong out. In winning, he also picked up a “Golden Ticket” for “the race that stops the nation” in early November, one of just two such guaranteed entries on offer in the northern hemisphere.
So what’s not to like? The answer, it soon transpired, is a small piece of metal inserted into one of Ethical Diamond’s legs. “He had a little fracture last year and we put a screw in,” Willie Mullins, the gelding’s trainer, said, “and they’re not allowed in Melbourne. It’s fair and their rules are there for a reason. At least we know we can’t go there before we leave.”
