The Melbourne Cup preparations of third favourite Delta Blues and English outsider Wunderwood have come under extra scrutiny after the pair failed to emerge from their stables at Sandown on Thursday.
Connections played down the absence of both horses from the training track, but with less than two weeks to the Cup it is unusual and alarming that they should have missed any exercise.
For Delta Blues, whose Flemington prospects soared when he finished third at 80-1 in the Caulfield Cup, the missed workout is a significant departure from the routine he has followed over the past three weeks.
Along with stablemate Pop Rock he has worked strongly and frequently since arriving in Melbourne.
Both horses, understandably, had two days off after running in the Caulfield Cup.
The usual routine resumed on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday and Pop Rock was on the track on Thursday for a trot and canter.
When questioned on Delta Blues, his Japanese handler offered only a one-word reply: "Holiday."
The situation with Wunderwood was equally clouded.
The horse, who is yet to race in Melbourne, has been behind in his work since arriving here.
Trainer David Elsworth replaced his original track rider last weekend and Wunderwood has been progressing more positively since.
But on Thursday his already delayed program suffered another setback.
His handler said the horse was simply having a day off and was fit and well.
But no sooner had he scurried off into the stables than a farrier and vet arrived at the Sandown quarantine centre and followed him inside, spending more than an hour behind closed doors.
A representative of the horse's owner Mike Watt said the farrier and vet were there on a routine visit.
"There's no problem, he's just being re-shod," said Watt's spokesman Connor Phelan.
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