Australian Bloodstock are still hopeful of qualifying three runners for the Melbourne Cup despite losing Torcedor to injury before second acceptances on Tuesday.
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The Hunter-based syndicators, who won the 2014 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist, withdrew Torcedor after he pulled up sore from a track gallop.
It is the second year in a row the company have had their Melbourne Cup hopes dashed with the import, which was unable to make the trip to Australian in 2018 because of a virus.
Australian Bloodstock co-director Luke Murrell had said Torcedor, an eight-year-old Fastnet Rock gelding, was his best Cup chance if he got to the race fit and healthy.
"He's just got a couple of niggling little things that we need to get right before we can put him under the pressure of a Melbourne Cup, so we'll get him right and we'll be back for the Sydney Cup," Murrell said.
"He goes good the Sydney way, he likes the sting out and we just don't want to risk him."
Torcedor was 34th in the Melbourne Cup order of entry before Tuesday. Australian Bloodstock paid up with Mustajeer (14th), Shraaoh (29th), Big Duke (31st), Raheen House (42nd), Attention Run (58th) and Red Cardinal (61st).
"Hopefully we'll have three in with Mustajeer, Shraaoh and Big Duke, and hopefully we can squeeze another one in," Murrell said.
"We're still hopeful with Raheen House and we still paid up with Attention Run and Red Cardinal, but they are a long way down and would need to win a race."
"Shraaoh will go to the Moonee Valley Cup and he'd need to go well to go in, but by all accounts there's no reason why he won't.
"Raheen House, I think we'd need six to eight on attrition to come out. He'll go to the Hotham Handicap on Derby day or Bendigo Cup three days before that.
"Red Cardinal will go to the Geelong Cup next Wednesday and Attention Run will go in a listed race in Sydney next Saturday."
