**Melbourne Cup's Disturbing Trend: Horse Fatalities Edited from Replays**

The Melbourne Cup, a prestigious horse race in Australia, faced scrutiny after the death of Anthony Van Dyck during the 2020 event. The race, held on November 3, took place in an empty grandstand due to COVID-19 restrictions. As jockey Hugh Bowman urged Anthony Van Dyck down the final stretch, the horse stumbled and fell, suffering a fractured fetlock. While the live audience witnessed the incident, the official race replay omitted the moment entirely, focusing instead on the winning horse, Twilight Payment.

Anthony Van Dyck became the sixth horse to die in the Melbourne Cup over a seven-year period, but he was the first to be completely edited from the replay. This incident highlights a growing trend in the horse racing industry, where footage of equine fatalities is increasingly being removed from public view. The industry generates approximately $9.5 billion annually and employs around 75,000 people, but it faces mounting pressure from activists advocating for animal welfare.

The editing of race footage varies significantly across Australian states. In Victoria, for instance, replays are often altered to remove any graphic content related to horse injuries. This practice has been noted in several recent incidents, including the deaths of horses like Weekend Lover and Chorlton Lane, whose fatal moments were edited out of the race replays.

In New South Wales, the approach is less consistent. While some incidents, like the death of Tyreek, have resulted in the removal of replays, others, such as the fatalities of Wannawinwin and Promising Prospect, remain available for viewing. Queensland and South Australia have also shown a mix of practices, with some fatal incidents remaining in the public domain while others are edited out.

The lack of transparency in how these incidents are handled has raised concerns among racing enthusiasts and animal rights advocates alike. Viewers often have no indication that a race has been edited, and unedited replays do not provide warnings about potentially distressing content. This inconsistency creates confusion and raises questions about the industry's commitment to safety and accountability.

The issue extends beyond equine fatalities. Incidents involving jockeys, such as falls and injuries, are also frequently removed from replays. The case of jockey Tom Prebble, who suffered severe spinal injuries in a fall, exemplifies this trend. His incident was edited from the public record, leaving little information available about his condition.

Danny Brereton, a former jockey who experienced a life-threatening fall in 2010, criticized the industry's decision to hide footage of racing incidents. He believes that removing such content undermines safety and accountability. "I don't like the deception of hiding it," Brereton stated. "They're trying to make it all silky smooth."

As the horse racing industry grapples with its image and the growing scrutiny from activists, the editing of race footage raises important questions about transparency and the treatment of both horses and jockeys in the sport. The Melbourne Cup, once a symbol of racing glory, now faces a complex challenge as it navigates the balance between tradition and the ethical considerations of modern society.