Red Cadeaux runner-up again in the Melbourne Cup

Red Cadeaux, seen here winning last year’s QIPCO Yorkshire Cup, finished runner-up for a second time in the Melbourne Cup today. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Fiorente, formerly trained in the UK by Sir Michael Stoute, defeated four UK- and Irish-trained horses in the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation in Australia, in the early hours of this morning.

They included QIPCO British Champions Series stalwarts Red Cadeaux, who was runner-up in the race for a second time for trainer Ed Dunlop, and Simenon, who finished fourth for trainer Willie Mullins.

Mount Athos, trained by Luca Cumani, finished third with Dandino, trained by Marco Botti, in fifth. The five of them were covered by a little over three lengths.

Red Cadeaux, who won last year’s QIPCO Yorkshire Cup and was runner-up in the Investec Coronation Cup but disappointed in both the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Betfair King George this season, led over two furlongs from home.

At that point a victory in the race that he lost by a nose in 2011 seemed a possibility, but Fiorente bore down on him and took it up just a over a furlong from home.

Red Cadeaux stayed with him until well inside the final furlong when Fiorente moved three-quarters of a length clear for an ultimately decisive victory.

Mount Athos was a length and a half further back, just a head clear of the Gold Cup and Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup runner-up, Simenon, with Dandino a length back in fifth.

The Artemis Goodwood Cup winner, Brown Panther, had every chance two furlongs out but faded into eighth and finished the race with a superficial cut on his leg for trainer Tom Dascombe and joint-owner Michael Owen.

It was a magnificent victory for Fiorente’s trainer, the legendary Gai Waterhouse, who had never won Australia’s greatest race before.

"It’s a dream come true," she said. "He’s a pleasure to train. He’s never disappointed us."

Reflecting on Red Cadeaux’s performance under a fine ride by French ace Gerald Mosse, Dunlop said: "The jockey has probably given as good a ride as he could without winning a Melbourne Cup.

"I’m so proud of the horse. He’s older and he’s carrying more weight and he’s probably run as well, if not better, than when he was second here before.

"You never know, he could still come back here next year, but we will certainly be looking at Japan and Hong Kong."

He won in Hong Kong in 2012 and was placed in both Japan and Dubai this season – he may be seven years of age, but he can still pack a punch at the highest level.