Red Cadeaux Could Contest Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Red Cadeaux was a surprise inclusion in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes field that was released this morning and trainer Ed Dunlop has confirmed that the veteran stayer is a genuine chance of contesting the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Red Cadeaux is a chance of contesting the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Red Cadeaux is a chance of contesting the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Red Cadeaux was expected to make the step-up to 3200 metres for the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday and he was included in the acceptances for the $2 million race, but Dunlop revealed in his blog that he would analyse the weather conditions in Sydney closely before deciding which race his star galloper will contest.

“I fly to Australia tomorrow evening ahead of Red Cadeaux’s run at Randwick on Saturday,” Dunlop said.

“We are monitoring the weather closely, but we are set to accept for both the Sydney Cup and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes before making an eleventh-hour decision in which race we run.”

Red Cadeaux has generally produced his best performances over staying trips and he has famously finished in the Melbourne Cup over two miles on three separate occasions, but he has proven in the past that he is capable of being competitive over 2000 metres.

The nine-year-old contested the 2013 edition of the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) and was not disgraced when he finished eighth behind the talented Military Attack, while he produced one of the most impressive performances of his racing career when he finished second behind Animal Kingdom and beat the likes of Planteur, Side Glance, African Story and Meadnre in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup (2000m), while he was not disgraced in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 14,

Dunlop’s travelling foreman Robin Trevor Jones said that he is confident that Red Cadeaux can prove more than competitive on a heavy track in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he expects Dunlop will wait until the end of the week to make a final decision on which race the popular stayer will contest.

“We saw the racing yesterday and we saw how soft the ground was,” Trevor Jones said.

“This horse is very effective on soft ground especially over shorter trips and there is a massive pot involved.

“We put this to the owner, the trainer is thinking about it and it is something we have to think about.

“He was second in a Dubai World Cup, that is not a bad run at a mile and a quarter, and you have all seen him run many times at two miles and he is very effective.”

Hugh Bowman has been booked to ride Red Cadeaux in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m), but is already committed to ride Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and Kerrin McEvoy will likely take the ride on Red Cadeaux if he contests the $4 million event.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.