Trainer Ed Dunlop has revealed that the 2015 Melbourne Cup is an option for Trip To Paris after he recorded an upset victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot this morning.
Trip To Paris could join stablemate Red Cadeaux (pictured) in Australia for the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Dermot Weld-trained Forgotten Rules went into the Gold Cup as a clear favourite and he received a lovely run into the race behind Forever Now in the early stages of the race, while Trip To Paris was settled slightly worse than midfield.
Forgotten Rules loomed up to Forever Now at top of the straight and looked like the winner, but Trip To Paris received a trip run on the rail and he outstayed his rivals to record an impressive victory from a very unlucky Kingfisher.
Dunlop has sent Red Cadeaux to Australia for the Melbourne Cup in the past four years, with the gallant stayer finishing second in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and he said that he would consider bringing Trip To Paris to Australia for a crack at ‘the race that stops a race’.
“The Australians, the clever ones, said ‘You ought not be running in the Gold Cup because you’ll spoil his mark (handicap) for the Melbourne Cup’, but I think his owners will want to do it now and why not?,” Dunlop told the media after the race.
“Steve Nicholson, who also looks after Red Cadeaux, until today has always said, ‘He (Trip To Paris) is not coming on the same plane as Cadeaux’.
“He’s a stayer that can really quicken — he was unlucky in the Rosebery Handicap (2200m) earlier this year, so he’s got a turn of foot.
“We’ve had offers to sell him, but decided to stick with him.
“Let’s enjoy the moment and think about Melbourne later.”
“I was always brought up to regard the Gold Cup as the highlight of this meeting, so it’s near the top – one of my greatest days as a trainer.”
Ed Dunlop has won Group 1 races in eight different countries right around the world and was the trainer of genuine superstars Ouija Board and Snow Fairy, but he said after the race that the Gold Cup victory of Trip To Paris ranks right up there with the highlights of his training career to date.
“I was always brought up to regard the Gold Cup as the highlight of this meeting, so it’s near the top,” Dunlop said.
“It is one of my greatest days as a trainer.”
Trip To Paris is currently available at 2015 Melbourne Cup odds of $31 with Ladbrokes, while Fame Game ($15) is a narrow favourite from Hartnell ($17), Mongolian Khan ($17), Contributer ($21), Protectionist ($21) and Signoff ($21).
