Good morning from Newmarket. The time has come, we are nearly there. By the time tomorrow morning’s blog is posted, the Caulfield Cup will have been and gone – so we better take some time to talk Red Verdon now!
There are a couple of domestic runners to mention first. I send two to Redcar in the hope that we can nick some prize money, with Hazarfan kicking us off in the mile and three-quarter 0-75 handicap at 2.45. A very disappointing horse that has not gone the right way, there is no doubt that he has the talent to win at this level. He looked to be working his way into form with a good fourth at Nottingham two runs ago, but he offered very little at Haydock more recently, to send us back to the drawing board. Hopefully a tongue tie and cheek pieces will enable Luke Morris to get a good tune out of him, but we go in hope rather than expectation.
In the 5.35 our amateur rider Sophie Smith has her third outing on Grandscape. The pair combined to finish an excellent second at Wolverhampton in late August, though crucially that was over a mile and three-quarters, whereas today they are racing over just a mile and a quarter. Grandscape hasn’t raced over this trip since his seasonal reappearance, and has always looked as though he wants further. There are a limited number of opportunities at his level for amateur riders though, so it makes sense to take our chance this afternoon. A free-going horse, we hope he can travel nicely and then use his proven stamina to keep galloping relentlessly up the long Redcar straight. It should provide excellent experience for horse and rider.
Now onto the small matter of the Caulfield Cup. Be sure to set your alarms early, as this race will be going off at 6.40am UK time! Red Verdon has been acclimatising very nicely to his new surroundings and looks in fabulous shape in Australia, where he is under the skilled supervision of travelling head lad Robin Trevor-Jones and regular rider Steve Nicholson.
Verdon has travelled abroad earlier in his career, finishing second in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris and fourth in the Irish Derby, so we certainly have some hope that he will be able to show his best form out in Australia. There is little doubt that he looks in great condition, and Robin and Steve have been very happy with how he is ticking over.
It is interesting at this point to draw a comparison between Red Verdon and his famous Arculli-owned forbearer Red Cadeaux. Cadeaux probably didn’t have the depth of form to his name at the equivalent stage of his career, though he had given notice of his improvement by winning the Gr.3 Curragh Cup and finishing third in the Gr.1 Irish St Leger in the months prior to his first trip to Melbourne. Red Verdon was a higher quality three-year-old, but his form dipped in the early part of his four-year-old campaign as he had a few injury niggles. He began to rebuild his profile with a win in Listed company last November, and has competed with credit in good quality races throughout 2018. His standout effort was probably his second to Crystal Ocean in the Gr.2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot although, unlike Cadeaux, his final run prior to departure was a poor one in the Lonsdale Cup.
Added to that, the task at hand is a daunting one. The top-class race nature of the race, in which every single rival brings high-quality form to the table, is naturally a huge obstacle. Red Cadeaux seemed to grow an extra leg when touching down in Australia, and if Red Verdon can find similar improvement for travelling, then he might just be competitive. We have been fortunate to land a good draw in stall nine and have the assistance of one of the world’s best in Zac Purton. Verdon has been travelling more and more strongly in his races as the year has developed, so I would like to think he can utilise his draw and find a good early position, tucked in behind the leaders. Beyond that, it is impossible to forecast what will happen, and it is impossible to be confident in such a high class race. But we have done all we can now – all that is left is to wish Red Verdon and Zac all the best and hope for a bit of luck!
All the best,
Ed.