KEY POINTS:
Melbourne - The New Zealand owners of Efficient are disappointed at his withdrawal from today's Melbourne Cup, but are taking it on the chin.
Efficient had a sore knee after a 400 metre workout this morning and trainer Graeme Rogerson scratched the $8 third favourite from the race.
Tony Sellars, from Wellington, who is one of four New Zealanders holding 25 per cent of the exciting Victoria Derby winner, said the quartet was disappointed after all the build-up to the A$5 Cup that their horse would not be running, but philosophical at the same time.
"It's a blow but it's better to be safe than sorry," he said.
"We certainly wouldn't like to risk him if he wasn't 100 per cent."
Sellars said Efficient's blood was tested yesterday to make sure he was OK, with Rogerson and managing owner Lloyd Williams very confident about his chances today as long as he was 100 per cent.
"We are relieved that the best decision is being made in the interests of the horse and with his derby win on Saturday, we have already had the day of our lives.
"I haven't been to the Melbourne Cup before and we plan to enjoy it with all the pressure off now."
Sellars, his brother Mike, Graeme Hunt and Scott Williams hold the quarter share.
Efficient is likely to spell until the autumn.
Williams said Efficient showed signs of soreness after this morning's short gallop.
"He ran up over two furlongs this morning and when he cooled down he was sore in his knee," Williams told Melbourne radio 927.
"It is a great disappointment, I thought we were going to be part of history."
Efficient was aiming to become the first three-year-old since Skipton in 1941 to claim the Derby-Cup double.
Williams still has two runners - Activation and Zipping - in the Cup.
The David Hayes-trained Tawqeet was inspected by vets this morning after pulling a shoe off yesterday afternoon, raising concerns he may have injured his hoof.
Chief steward Des Gleeson said Tawqeet had trotted up in front of Racing Victoria chief vet John McCaffery.
"He showed no signs of soreness and we will have another look at him before the race but at the moment he is fine," Gleeson said.
- NZPA
