The British trainer whose horse figured on the wrong side of the closest photo finish to a Melbourne Cup is looking to Asia this week to avenge the agonising loss.
As Ed Dunlop oversees Snow Fairy’s defence of her Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup crown in Japan, he is already making plans for next year’s Melbourne Cup with Red Cadeaux.
“I had heard so much about the Melbourne Cup being the race that stops a nation and it is certainly something very unique,” Dunlop reported on his website edunlop.com.
He used a soccer analogy to describe Red Cadeaux’s centimetre defeat to French stayer Dunaden.
“It was our first attempt (at the race) and we have hit the crossbar,” he said.
“Maybe next year we will find the back of the net.
“I could not have asked for more of Red Cadeaux and had there been a little bit more juice in the ground I think he would have won.”
Dunlop said as the post-race drama unfolded the more his confidence grew about Red Cadeaux gaining the verdict.
“The longer the photo finish went on, the more hopeful I got but it was not to be,” he said.
“We got chinned on the line.”
A Hong Kong start next month remains on Red Cadeaux’s radar but Dunlop’s focus this week is on his glamour mare Snow Fairy.
Snow Fairy will be trying to give Dunlop his first Group One win for 2011 on Sunday.
“The travel to Kyoto Racecourse was all very fine,” he told japanracing.jp.
“We have a good memory of Kyoto Racecourse from last year and she’s in just as good form as last year.”
AAP TURF
