Red Cadeaux

Red Cadeaux ran a cracker on ground which would have been plenty fast enough for him in the 14-furlong Kingspin Old Borough Cup at Haydock on Saturday. He travelled okay well back in the field, ridden close to the inside rail by Ryan Moore when the field came across down the back straight. The pace up front was fairly fast, which suited the horses who were held up off the pace, but Red Cadeaux had to do all his running on his own on the far side as they came up the straight, with the majority of the field challenging up the centre of the track. Despite that, Ed Dunlop’s gelding may have been marginally in front under two furlongs out and he kept going all the way to the line, only just giving way to the late burst of the favourite Kansai Spirit in the last 200 yards.

There was a lot to like about this run from Red Cadeaux, he might have done better if he had been among the other horses coming up the straight and if he could have been held up among horses for a little longer. He certainly would have been better on easier ground, all his best form has come on an easy surface including when he finished a close second to Lady Eclair, whom he beat well here, on his previous run at Chester. There was no disgrace in going down by a neck to a highly progressive rival in Kansai Spirit, who had won his two previous races really well and was a well-backed favourite on the day, and he can be marked up a fair bit on this run. He should be even better next time on easier ground.

4th September 2010

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