MELBOURNE, Australia — Steeplechase and hurdle racing was suspended Thursday in Australia's Victoria state after the deaths of three horses in two days at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival.

The deaths raised the toll to seven horses needing to be euthanized in less than two weeks in jumps racing in the state.

The Warrnambool meeting features the Grand Annual, the longest thoroughbred race in the country, with 33 jumps over 3.4 miles.

Racing Victoria announced the suspension Thursday, with a review pending.

Clearview Bay had to be euthanized Thursday after falling during the Grand Annual. The nine-year-old suffered the same fate as Pride Of Westbury, who fell at the last jump and died in the Galleywood Hurdle on Wednesday.

Pride of Westbury's stablemate, Hassle, had to be put down after shattering a sesamoid in a hurdle race earlier on Thursday.

"The RVL board has decided we need to have an urgent review of jumps racing," Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines said after the running of the Grand Annual.

"We have asked the Jumps Review Panel to make a report to the board by early next week on the season so far and on all the incidents that have occurred. The RVL Board will be having an urgent board meeting next week and making a decision on the future of jumps racing and making a statement next week."

Hines said the number of fatalities would have to be lower than the 12 of last year.

"We cannot continue at the rate we are at the moment," Hines said. "The outlook is difficult but let us do the review and we'll have a position for you in a week."

Late last month, four horses had to be euthanized in four days from injuries.

Jumper Hanging Rock had to be put down after a fall at the last hurdle at Yarra Valley race track on April 26. Hanging Rock held a winning lead before breaking his off-fore elbow and had to be euthanized, but jockey Trent Wells was not hurt.

Other jumpers to be put down include Shrogginet, after breaking a leg in a Cranbourne trial on April 23, and Taken At The Flood and Wool Zone after falls at the Morphettville track in South Australia state on April 25.

After the four earlier deaths, Lawrence Pope, president of the Victorian Advocates for Animals, called on state Racing Minister Rob Hulls to stop jumps racing.

"What makes this (Hanging Rock) particularly nasty even by jumps racing standards is that he died at a bushfire charity event with many children present," Pope said. "With 60 jumps races left in the long season, this year is shaping up to be just as bad as last year and the year before that."