The former frontrunner for the Melbourne Cup, Defiantly, has been officially withdrawn from contention for the 2026 running of the iconic race.

A panel of veterinarians from Racing Victoria assessed Defiantly, Wine Dark Sea, and Enfjaar on Saturday morning. These three horses had been initially deemed unsuitable to accept for the Melbourne Cup following an examination on Thursday.

Veterinarians noted changes in the way the three horses were moving, requiring them to undergo a further examination on Saturday morning. This was to determine their eligibility to accept for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup before the final declarations were due at 4:30 pm on Saturday.

While Wine Dark Sea and Enfjaar were given the all-clear to race, Defiantly did not pass the veterinary inspection and remains unsuitable. RV stewards have ordered the stayer’s withdrawal from the Melbourne Cup based on this veterinary advice.

Small Fry, who was 33rd in the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry, was also deemed unsuitable to accept for the Melbourne Cup and has been ruled out for the remainder of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Following Defiantly’s withdrawal, Joseph O’Brien-trained stablemate Kizlyar moves into the Cup field, with Chris Waller’s Pinhole and stablemate Valiant King now sitting at numbers 25 and 26 in the Order of Entry.

Explore the available racing odds for the Melbourne Cup with leading Australian betting sites.