Red Cadeaux arrived in Melbourne on Saturday ahead of his fourth tilt at the 2014 Melbourne Cup and travelling foreman Robin Trevor Jones could not be happier with the way the veteran stayer handled the trip to Australia.
Red Cadeaux arrived at the Werribee Quarantine Centre on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
19 European-trained 2014 Spring Racing Carnival hopefuls arrived at the Werribee Quarantine Centre on Saturday afternoon and all appeared to handle the lengthy journey to Australia without any major issues, but Trevor Jones told TVN that he was particularly happy with the physical condition of Red Cadeaux.
“He’s in stupid good form, fingers crossed everything goes well in the next few days,” Trevor Jones said.
“Mr Arculli (the owner) is brilliant.
“He lets the horse have a full stall on the plane and I’m able to let him down as if he’s in his own box at home.
“He’s eaten and he’s drunk and I can’t see any problems.”
Red Cadeaux first made the trip to Australia in 2011 when he finished an extremely close second behind Dunaden in the Melbourne Cup and he has returned on two more occasions to finish 8th in the 2012 Melbourne Cup and second behind Fiorente in last year’s race.
The Cadeaux Genereux gelding went on to Hong Kong after running in the Melbourne Cup last year and he finished fourth behind Dominant in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) before returning to his home base in Newmarket.
Red Cadeaux had a short stint in the spelling paddock before he was sent on the road again and he finished a credible sixth in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 29 before he failed to fire on a firm surface in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3218m) in Kyoto on May 4.
The veteran stayer returned to racing in the United Kingdom with a close fourth behind fellow Melbourne Cup hopeful Seismos in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2670m) at Newbury on August 16, but finished at the tail of the field.
Red Cadeaux remains in the entries for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) that will be held at Caulfield on October 18, but trainer Ed Dunlop is yet to decide whether his star galloper will run in the $3 million or go into the Melbourne Cup without a lead-up run as he has done in the past three years.
Red Cadeaux is currently available at 2014 Melbourne Cup odds of $34, while Japanese stayer Bande and Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer are locked in a battle for favouritism at a quote of $13.
