Dunlop Duo Set For Melbourne Trip

G1 Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) is “more likely than unlikely” to make the trip to Australia for the Nov. 3 G1 Melbourne Cup with veteran stablemate Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), trainer Ed Dunlop told Racenet. The 4-year-old has finished third behind Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in the G2 Goodwood Cup and fifth in the G2 Lonsdale Cup since his breakthrough score at Royal Ascot.

“Nothing has been confirmed yet but Trip To Paris is more likely than unlikely to enter quarantine with Red Cadeaux on Sept. 10,” Dunlop told the site. “Red Cadeaux won’t be going for a warm-up race as his legs won’t take two races, but we just hope to get him there in top form on the day.”

Red Cadeaux has become something of a Melbourne Cup icon, having competed four times in the A$6 million race and finished second on three occasions, and he was last seen finishing third in Newbury’s G3 Geoffrey Freer S. Aug. 15.

Big Orange, the winner of a pair of staying races this year, is also set for Melbourne after beating one home in the Lonsdale Cup.

“Big Orange didn’t like the ground at York and also pulled a shoe off, but is fine again now,” owner Bill Gredley told Racenet. “The plan is still to take him to the Melbourne Cup but he won’t have a prep race out there as there won’t be enough time.”