The Greens have backed calls from animal welfare groups and an equine veterinarian for an independent investigation and necropsy report into the death of the racehorse Anthony Van Dyck following Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup race.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare, said:
“Tuesday’s race was horrific. There are serious questions to answer about this racehorse death. There must be no industry cover-up.
“Horse racing kills. No horse is safe at the Melbourne Cup.
“Every year, more and more people are saying ‘nup’ to the Cup and rejecting this carnival of cruelty.
“Ultimately we need to see an end to the Melbourne Cup and the brutality of commercial horse racing,” she said.
Ellen Sandell MP, Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, said:
“Every year the Greens call on the state government to end animal cruelty at the hands of our racing industry – and every year the government tries to pretend they have no power to stop it.
“The reality is that our government’s cosy relationship with the racing industry has prevented them from putting an end to cruelty against horses. Even a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic wasn’t enough to warrant them closing the gates this year.
“We need an independent investigation into Anthony Van Dyck’s death so that our government can wake up to the unnecessary pain and cruelty the Melbourne Cup inflicts on horses.”
