At 3pm on Tuesday November 7, 2017, virtually every workplace in this country will suspend business and every home television will be tuned in to watch the running of the Melbourne Cup - the world's second richest horse race. Office sweepstakes are virtually mandatory.

There is a dark side to all the revelry of which not everyone is aware. Somewhere around 130 horses die every year on racetracks in Australia alone. Thousands more horses bred for racing who don't make the grade are shot for dog food.

In 2015, two horses died after the running of the Melbourne Cup. Admire Rakti, an overseas horse, and race favourite, had a massive heart attack during the race, and died immediately after in agony in his stall. This poem tells that story.

Another horse, Araldo,was spooked by someone in the crowd waving a banner, and kicked a fence, breaking a leg. Araldo was destroyed later that night.

Sometimes you hear the term "collateral damage" or "wastage" applied to animals that lose their lives as a result of being conscripted for our amusement - I think they deserve to be valued more than that.

Photo: From pixabay.com, CC0 - no attribution required.

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