Red Cadeaux Pleases Dunlop In Hong Kong
- Friday, 12 December 2014 06:29
Honorary Australian Red Cadeaux has pleased his English trainer Ed Dunlop with his no-fuss attitude ahead of his bid for a second victory in the Hong Kong Vase.
Dunlop was at trackwork at Sha Tin on Friday, setting eyes on the three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up for the first time in five weeks.
Red Cadeaux is Britain's highest money earner in training, helped by his 2012 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) win and his 2013 Dubai World Cup second to go with his Melbourne efforts.
Red Cadeaux during trackwork ahead of the Hong Kong Cup.
Dunlop watched Red Cadeaux canter on the dirt track two days out from his Vase assignment.
"Everything looks in good order with the horse," Dunlop said.
"He's on familiar territory here in Hong Kong, so he just settles in here and gets on with it.
"Gerald (Mosse) is happy to be drawn off the fence in gate seven, rather than down the inside, and he is the one making the decisions on the day."
The Roger Varian-trained Farraaj will be another horse lining up from a Melbourne spring carnival placing when he contests the Hong Kong Cup at Sunday's International meeting.
Farraaj finished third in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes won by Happy Trails.
"To my eye he looks better here than he did in Australia," Varian said.
"He's more relaxed here but brighter. I hope he can improve on his last run, but then again this will be tougher."
Australia's official entries, Buffering and Criterion, also worked on Friday morning.
Much attention has focused on International Sprint contender Buffering right foreleg after he was found to have a foot abscess earlier this week.
He had an even gallop on the turf with track rider Melanie Sharpe aboard.
"I'm very happy with that," trainer Robert Heathcote said.
"We didn't push him too hard. We just wanted to see him get through it and he has. He's sound, that's the important thing.
Criterion, who runs in the Cup, will be having his first start for trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig. He was trained by David Payne until his fifth in the Mackinnon Stakes.
