At 11am on Friday, Red Cadeaux was on the approach to Sharjah as the outward leg of his fifth Australian adventure is now well underway. After two weeks in quarantine, the globetrotting nine-year-old boarded a flight with Robin, Steve and vet Stuart at Heathrow yesterday evening. After a short stop off in Amsterdam, Red and his steeds are preparing to break again in the UAE, which will set them up for the third leg of the journey to Singapore. From there, it will be all systems go to Melbourne and Werribee Quarantine Centre, which now boasts the Red Cadeaux barn as a tribute to its most famous international son. They are due to arrive 11.45am GMT tomorrow, Saturday 14, where Red will be quarantined for a further fortnight before the countdown to race-day begins.
As always, Red looked wonderful before he left and – as the pictures taken just before take-off in London show – he is more than happy to going on his holidays once more. Despite the first signs of spring beginning to emerge on this side of the world, Red will be in for a treat on touchdown in Melbourne, where the temperatures have been hitting mid-30 degrees during the afternoon. We will keep his adoring fans updated on his progress as Red lands tomorrow, so watch this space for further details.