The Cliffsofmoher dies after suffering injury in Melbourne Cup

Irish visitor The Cliffsofmoher has been put down after a mishap passing the winning post the first time in the Melbourne Cup.

The Caulfield Cup placegetter, trained by Aidan O'Brien, fractured a shoulder as he was approaching the turn out of the straight for the first time.

Stablemate Yucatan was favourite and ran 11th in the race, which was won by Cross Counter, with Marmelo second and A Prince of Arran third.

Jamie Stier, Racing Victoria's manager of integrity services, confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon.

“It is with sadness that we confirm that The Cliffsofmoher had to be humanely euthanised after sustaining a fractured right shoulder during the running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington,” Stier said.

“The horse received immediate veterinary care, however it was unable to be saved due to the nature of the injury sustained.

“This was an unfortunate incident that happens infrequently, with Victoria having one of the best safety records in world racing.

“Our sympathies are extended to Coolmore and the Williams family, the owners of The Cliffsofmoher, jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien and his staff who cared for the horse and are greatly saddened by their loss.”

Ryan Moore was uninjured in the incident.

The chairman and the directors of the Victoria Racing Club released a statement extending their sympathies to the Williams family and Coolmore connections of The Cliffsofmoher.

It is the fourth time in the past six years that the Melbourne Cup has been shrouded by the death of horses.

In 2014 pre-race favourite Admire Ratki died after collapsing from heart failure in the stalls minutes after the race.

In the same race, import Araldo had to be euthanised because of an injury suffered when he was returning to scale.

Araldo placed seventh but was spooked by a flag in the crowd on the way back to weigh in, kicking out and breaking a rear leg on a fence.

In 2015 crowd favourite and three-time Cup runner up Red Cadeaux had to be euthanised two and a half weeks after the Cup as a result of complications from an injury suffered in that year's race.

The RSPCA has called the death of Cliffsofmoher a tragedy.

"Today's tragedy is a stark reminder of the risks these horses face every time they run, and highlights that behind the gloss and glamour of Cup celebrations there is a dark reality," spokeswoman Jane Speechley said.

"The racing industry has much work to do."

Anti-racehorsing protesters have condemned Cliffsofmoher's death, calling for major reforms to the industry.

"We are calling on the racing industry to phase out two-year-old racing and ban the whip so that horses are not pushed beyond their limits," said Elio Celotto from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it wanted an investigation into the horse’s death.

"Cliffsofmoher [is] the most recent victim of the cruel annual spectacle known as the Melbourne Cup,’’ the PETA spokesman said.

"Considering Australians hate cruelty to animals, commemorating a day on which horses routinely die in the Melbourne Cup is fundamentally un-Australian."

"Horrific to see celebrations continue while this horse may be dying," one of many tweets about the horse's death said.

Article courtesy of Fairfax Digital and The Brisbane Times