Veteran traveller Red Cadeaux is back in familiar territory at Werribee where he is undergoing quarantine following his arrival from the UK.
The Ed Dunlop-trained nine-year-old has contested the past three Melbourne Cups, finishing second in 2011 and 2013 with an eighth placing sandwiched in between.
He is a $35 chance for this year’s Melbourne Cup on November 4.
Robin Trevor-Jones, assistant trainer for Dunlop, flew into Melbourne with Red Cadeaux on Saturday and said the gelding had settled in well, going into the same box he was stabled in last year.
The Red Cadeaux team made a slight adjustment to the gelding’s travel itinerary by coming to Melbourne in the first shipment rather than with the second bunch of arrivals.
The earlier arrival has given connections the option of starting Red Cadeaux in the Caulfield Cup on October 18.
“At the moment we are training him for a Melbourne Cup, but if they are really seriously considering going for a Caulfield Cup we would have to start doing some sharper work,” Trevor-Jones said.
While this year’s Melbourne Cup on paper may not look as strong as in previous years, Trevor-Jones is still wary of the lighter-weighted horses.
“There is always horses coming through the ranks,” Trevor-Jones said.
“We have got 57 kilos and we’ve got to remember that, but there is no Fiorente in the race, is there.
“If he can run his race, he’ll be thereabouts.”
Trevor-Jones explained Red Cadeaux’s poor performance when finishing last at Kempton on September 6 and is confident the gelding can turn his form around.
“He did this to me last year and I had to explain it,” he said.
“This year he’s run at Kempton, which is one of our all-weather tracks. The race didn’t run to suit, he got a little far back and got in behind horses and got covered with kick-back.
“He doesn’t enjoy that.
“To me he ran his best race here 11 months ago and he doesn’t look any different to me.”
