Hopes of a Melbourne Cup victory for RED CADEAUX were dashed on Tuesday after a combination of a wide draw, a lack of early pace and being hampered several times all put paid to his chances.
Arguably this year's renewal of the race was one of the strongest ever but many will remember it for panning out quite unexpectedly in that many of the principal players failed to get involved after sitting too far off the pace. Having initially gone a fair gallop, the field slowed up somewhat and continued to slow even at half way which didn't suit many of the stayers in the race eventually won by the former Harry Dunlop trained Green Moon. Red Cadeaux was held up in rear after being drawn eighteen but when he did attempt to make ground he met interference and was pushed wide, subsequently having little time to get involved in what turned out to be a sprint down the Flemington straight. In the end, he finished eight after running on strongly, possibly the fastest finisher of the twenty four runner field.
"If you asked fifteen jockeys they would all say there was no pace, we didn't even have a run", Ed said, who had suspected the Cup might be run at a slow pace but said from the wide gate there was little option but to settle in the second half of the field. "We couldn't do much else but go back. He picked up well off a slow tempo but it was just so slow, it made it very hard for him".
He has come out of his race in good shape and it is now likely that the globetrotting six year old will head to Tokyo for the Japan Cup next and possibly then on to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Vase, a race he finished third in last year.