Ol’ Pro ‘Cadeaux’ in Familiar Environs

One of three 8-year-old geldings who will head to the post tomorrow is former Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Ronald Arculli’s Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who is set to make his fourth straight appearance in the G1 Hong Kong Vase, a race in which he was a dead-heat third in 2011 before posting an emotional victory for his owner the following season. 

The chestnut was a solid fourth in defense of his title last term, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}). Trainer Ed Dunlop was on hand at Sha Tin for the first time Friday morning to observe Red Cadeaux for the first time since watching his charge finish runner-up the G1 Melbourne Cup five weeks ago. It was remarkably the third such result in “the race that stops a nation” in the last four years. 

“Everything looks in good order with the horse,” said Dunlop, who trained Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) to a victory in the 2005 Vase and added a win in the 2010 G1 Hong Kong Cup with Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab). “He’s on familiar territory here in Hong Kong, so he just settles in here and gets on with it.”

Though he has but seven victories from his 47 trips to the post, Red Cadeaux has gotten on with it just fine, at least from a financial perspective. Between his success here two years ago, the three runner-up efforts at Flemington and another in the world’s richest race, the G1 Dubai World Cup, he has bankrolled better than $7.1 million. And he shows no signs of slowing down, as he has appeared full of himself and has looked well during morning trackwork since his arrival from Australia a few weeks back. 

Admittedly, it had been a down season for Red Cadeaux prior to the Melbourne Cup, as he failed to factor in a serious way in any of his first four starts this term. Sixth in the World Cup in March, he was 14th in the G1 Tenno Sho May 4 before getting a few months off. He returned with a fourth in the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury Aug. 16 and was last of seven in the G3 September S. on the Kempton all-weather before traveling down under for the fourth straight season. Better than midfield early on in that two miler, he came with a run and led briefly late, but was overhauled by Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and was beaten four lengths at odds of 20-1. 

With yesterday’s scratching of longshot Wayfoong Express (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Red Cadeaux will break from the seven hole tomorrow afternoon, and that suits connections just fine. 

“[Jockey] 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,” Dunlop explained. “I hope there is pace in the race, as Red Cadeaux stays this trip and beyond, and so a crawl is not going to suit him, nor probably quite a few of the others as well.”