Former Melbourne Cup vet wins prestigious gong after walking away amid allegations she was bullied

The architect of Racing Victoria’s groundbreaking Melbourne Cup safety protocols has won a prestigious award for horse welfare despite quitting the organisation last year amid claims she had been bullied by leadership.The award is a potential embarrassment for Racing Victoria, whose chief vet role is still vacant.Dr Grace Forbes has won the Equine Veterinary Association’s Patricia Ellis Award.Racing PhotosDr Grace Forbes caused a sensation on the eve of last year’s Cox Plate, alleging in legal documents she had been pressured by Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison and head of integrity Jamie Stier to allow international horses at “high risk of injury, to travel and run” in the Cup.The claims were never tested in court. She resigned in December, following a confidential settlement deal with the sport’s governing body.Last Thursday, Forbes was presented with the Patricia Ellis award by the Equine Veterinary Association in recognition of her work in racing, including “developing world first veterinary safety protocols for international horses and Melbourne Cup runners”.The Melbourne Cup’s reputation was severely damaged by seven horse deaths in seven years between 2013-2020, but had remained fatality free since 2021 when Forbes helped introduce a strict new testing regime that included bone scans.Forbes was credited by the EVA with being “guided by the belief that the welfare of horses is best advanced through science, integrity and the courage to challenge the status quo”.The testing process was not always popular.Racing Victoria copped heavy backlash in 2024 from affected trainers and owners when five Melbourne Cup runners were scratched on the eve of the race because they had failed testing.Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien called the safety protocols “ridiculous” after his runner Jan Brueghel was ruled unfit to run, while renowned Victorian owner Terry Henderson claimed there had been a lack of communication and consultation between Racing Victoria and owners.Two of O’Brien’s runners had previously died in the Cup - The Cliffsofmoher in 2018 and Anthony Van Dyck in 2020.Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien lost two runners in the Melbourne Cup.Getty ImagesIn her acceptance speech last week, Forbes thanked her former Racing Victoria veterinarian team and said she was “truly honoured” to receive an award named after the late Dr Patricia Ellis - a pioneering equine vet.“Veterinary regulation of horse racing can be challenging, and having people who believe in you - and who share your values - makes all the difference,” Forbes told the audience at the Pullman in Albert Park.Forbes told the crowd the greatest improvements in racehorse welfare did not come from one policy, one rule or one breakthrough technology, but from a thousand decisions made by people who chose to put horses first.“Never forget that, as veterinarians, our first responsibility is not to the industry, the owners or the trainers. It is to the horse,” Forbes said.“Please continue to be advocates for the racehorse because they don’t have a voice of their own - they rely on ours.”Forbes and Racing Victoria declined to comment when contacted by The Age.Forbes lodged legal papers with the Fair Work Commission and the Federal Court last year, accusing Racing Victoria of wanting international horses to be passed to run in the Cup, regardless of whether they were fit to race.Racing Victoria and Morrison strongly denied the claims, saying horse welfare was the highest priority.Racing Victoria was contacted for comment about Forbes’ award on Monday.The organisation’s chief vet role still sits vacant. Vet David Sykes will oversee RV’s testing of European horses in the UK for the second year running.The industry appointed Hong Kong-based vet Glenn Robertson-Smith to fill the position in May this year but sensationally backflipped a day later when it was revealed he had faced Melbourne Magistrate’s Court nine years ago on two charges of making threatening phone calls to a Melbourne Racing Club executive.Forbes graduated in veterinary science from the University of Melbourne in 2004, and started her career at Kilmore Equine Clinic before joining Racing Victoria in 2012.She worked closely with the University of Melbourne’s equine arm and supported the purchase of advanced CT and PET imaging technology to help strengthen the “industry’s capacity to detect, understand and prevent catastrophic limb injuries”.In presenting her award, an EVA citation said she had “helped shape some of the most significant equine welfare initiatives in Australian racing.”The EVA credited Forbes with playing “an important role in investigating and prosecuting integrity and equine welfare matters, helping ensure that welfare standards are upheld and that public confidence in racing is strengthened”.“They have worked tirelessly to improve the safety of horse racing, with an unwavering dedication to never compromising the welfare of horses or the integrity of the sport,” the association said.“Their commitment has at times required difficult decisions and brought significant professional challenges, industry pressure and intense public scrutiny, but they have remained steadfast.“Their legacy is one of courage, evidence-based reform and lasting impact, and their contribution has helped ensure that the safety and dignity of the horse remain central to the future of racing.”News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. 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