Red Cadeaux Forced to Do ‘Dirty’ Work

Ronald Arculli’s Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), winner of the 2012 G1 Hong Kong Vase and most recently second for the third time in the G1 Melbourne Cup, was forbidden from galloping over the Sha Tin turf course Thursday morning and was relegated to a gallop over the all-weather surface, deemed “not suitable” for use by Robin Trevor-Jones, traveling foreman for trainer Ed Dunlop. 

“It just wasn’t suitable for us to do any decent work on,” Trevor-Jones told South China Morning Post. “My job here is to minimize risk as much as I can, and today the ground wasn’t up to a standard where it was appropriate to do proper exercise on. We are only 10 days out from the race and we have him right where we want him. We can’t afford a setback.” 

Persistent rains have forced track maintenance officials to leave the all-weather track sealed for fear of the surface becoming too wet ahead of Sunday’s meeting at Sha Tin, at which seven of the 11 scheduled races will take place away from the turf. 

Per Hong Kong Jockey Club rules, trainers are required to give 24 hours’ notice if they wish to use the turf course. SCMP reported that a similar request from a local trainer also fell on deaf ears. 

“I asked at 6:30 in the morning. Unfortunately, I am not a weather forecaster so didn’t know the dirt track wouldn’t be harrowed,” Trevor-Jones told the Morning Post.