Red Cadeaux wins HK Vase

Red Cadeaux wins HK Vase Dec 9, 2012 15:24:23 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Dec 9, 2012 15:24:23 GMT -5

Red Cadeaux Captures Tight Hong Kong Vase
Updated: Sunday, December 9, 2012 2:56 PM
ClubRed Cadeaux wins the Hong Kong Vase.
By Bob Kieckhefer

Red Cadeaux, making his third group I start in five weeks, won a tight stretch battle with Jaguar Mail to capture the Longines Hong Kong Vase (HK-I) Dec. 9 by a short head.

Meandre was along on the outside to take third in the longest race of the day at Sha Tin Racecourse. The 2,400 meters (1 1/2 miles) went in 2:28.73. The heavy favorite, Caulfield Cup (Aus-I) winner Dunaden, never figured in Sunday's race and finished fifth

With Gerald Mosse up for trainer Ed Dunlop, Red Cadeaux established a safe position in the middle of the 11-horse field and held that spot until Jaguar Mail began to pick up speed.

"I knew then that I had to go," Mosse said. "He ran on strongly from there and if he had to go another lap, no one would catch him." The two raced as a pair to the wire.

Red Cadeaux, a 6-year-old gelding by Cadeaux Genereux, is British-bred and British-based. His recent world tour included a pair of eighth-place finishes—in the Melbourne Cup (Aus-I) Nov. 6 and the Japan Cup (Jpn-I) Nov. 11.

Dunlop said he was compromised in Australia by a glacial pace and in Japan by being slammed by a rival during the race, sustaining cuts on two legs.

"He deserved this win," the trainer said.

"We always thought next year would be his last world tour," he said. The ultimate goal, he added, will be the 2013 Melbourne Cup. "But we will consider Dubai," he said, in the interim.

Last year, Red Cadeaux finished second in the Melbourne Cup and then a dead-heat third in the Hong Kong Vase.