Melbourne Cup entrant Vin De Dance (Roc de Cambes) will not contest the two-mile Flemington feature and will return home to New Zealand after a below-par performance in last Sunday’s Listed Cranbourne Cup.

The Gr. 1 New Zealand Derby winner had an interrupted campaign after suffering from back soreness and failed to fire in his two starts, including his 10th placing at Cranbourne.

“He didn’t run up to expectations last week,” co-trainer Murray Baker said. “He’s a good stayer, but there is just something there that we can’t pick up at the moment, so we will send him home to New Zealand and give him a spell.”

-NZ Racing Desk