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former trainer of the winner, Richard Gibson (now in HK), speaking about the owner in the South China Morning Post:
The Melbourne Cup is coming to Hong Kong – at least the silverware is – with the winning owner of yesterday’s French-trained winner Dunaden declaring post-race that he would keep his promise to the horse’s former trainer, Richard Gibson.
Gibson moved quite a number of horses from his yard to that of cup-winning trainer Mikel Delzangles earlier this year as he wound up his Chantilly stables in preparation for his new career in Hong Kong.
Dunaden was one of the horses that Gibson himself took over from another stable.
He improved the horse considerably to raise him to Group-winning level and the Englishman has kept close tabs on Dunaden’s subsequent career.
"They promised me, if they won, they would bring the cup over here so I could see it and hold it. I’ve just spoken to the owner and he told me the cup is on its way," a delighted Gibson said yesterday after the last-gasp victory by Dunaden at Flemington.
It was the biggest win for Dunaden’s owner, Qatari royal Sheikh Fahad al-Thani, who had offered to fly Gibson to Melbourne to be part of the day.
"It was a very generous offer but my priorities are here with my team at Sha Tin now," Gibson said. "So I watched it on television but I’m delighted for everyone concerned and it’s fantastic for French racing.
"The sheikh is the biggest new owner to emerge in European racing in the last 10 years, so I’m taking a lot of personal satisfaction from having found him the horse that gave him his first international Group One."
At Flemington, Delzangles didn’t forget to credit Gibson with his part of the story in his post-race comments.
"Richard left France for Hong Kong earlier this year, but we trained at the same place, and the horses didn’t actually move, they stayed in the same yard," Delzangles said.
"We are good friends, Richard and I. He talked to me about all of the horses – including, of course, Dunaden – and he has been very helpful with everything."
Can’t knock the race as a spectacle but Red Cadeaux wouldn’t be sighted in a Group 1 in Europe but the standard of horse we send is unlikely to change as long as the race clashed with the Breeders.
While we have sent a couple of very good horses, the trip the different track and style of racing isn’t likely to attract the Frankel’s of the racing world.
That won’t bother our Aussie friends as they can continue to hold the race in very high esteem and keep the tradition of beating off all comers, even if they did fail this year.
My Aussie mates are nuts about racing and when I mention Frankel one openly admits he hasn’t even bothered to watch him on U-tube as far as he’s concerned he’s not in the same class as Black Caviar: Nothing is. and if you want a second opinion their wine is also the best in the world
As there aren’t too many Group 1, 2 mile races on the European Pattern it might be fair to say Red Cadeaux would struggle to win one. However, he was beaten a length in the Irish Leger over 2 furlongs shorter and reversed the form with Jukebox Jury in receipt of 8 pounds as he was fully entitled to do. If you had a horse capable of winning the Prix Royal Oak or the Melbourne Cup which option would you take?
Ch 4
interviewed the winning owner [with Makfi in the background]. I found him to be a real horselover and rather liked him; didn’t realise he owned Dunaden as well. Grimes; I wasn’t sure about Lucas Cranach in that there was a 10/10 stat that the winner had always won a race with 14 plus horses in it. Other than that, he was the stat horse along with Dunaden [even though I talked myself into backing a few others, as usual]. Relieved that none of my long priced no hopers came 5th, because Ladbrokes did first 5 places. One wonders what would have happened if Bauer had got in, though, I don’t understand how Mourayan got scratched so late on given that he was lame at the weekend and the horses were all being vetted. Talk about wearing ‘bars?’ which I assume is a sort of shoe for horses with sore feet??
One wonders what would have happened if Bauer had got in, though, I don’t understand how Mourayan got scratched so late on given that he was lame at the weekend and the horses were all being vetted. Talk about wearing ‘bars?’ which I assume is a sort of shoe for horses with sore feet??
Not necessarily sore feet. Bar shoes have metal near the sensitive frog of the hoof (so they are an "O" rather than a "U" shape) which benefits horses who need more support there.
Thanks. There was quite a bit of talk about horses wearing ‘bars’ on the run up to the race. By the way, do you have a link for the Breeders Cup this year? Can I use Cal Racing again or is it the wrong part of the country? [my geography is not good, I’m afraid..]
Ch 4
interviewed the winning owner [with Makfi in the background]. I found him to be a real horselover and rather liked him; didn’t realise he owned Dunaden as well. Grimes; I wasn’t sure about Lucas Cranach in that there was a 10/10 stat that the winner had always won a race with 14 plus horses in it. Other than that, he was the stat horse along with Dunaden [even though I talked myself into backing a few others, as usual]. Relieved that none of my long priced no hopers came 5th, because Ladbrokes did first 5 places. One wonders what would have happened if Bauer had got in, though, I don’t understand how Mourayan got scratched so late on given that he was lame at the weekend and the horses were all being vetted. Talk about wearing ‘bars?’ which I assume is a sort of shoe for horses with sore feet??
I sometimes scan articles too quicky, Moehat, but I was under the impression from one article that the last minute withdrawal of Mourayan was a cynical ploy to keep Bauer out of it and give the owner’s other horse a better chance. Can’t remember which one it was. But very sad really. Especially for connections and punters on him ante-post.
I hadn’t checked that stat, but though I don’t know how fast the Hamburg race was on YouTube, I’ve never seen a horse ACTUALLY make the other look like real trees!!!
Robert Hickmott trained Mourayan and At First Sight, presumably for the same owner?
Thanks. There was quite a bit of talk about horses wearing ‘bars’ on the run up to the race. By the way, do you have a link for the Breeders Cup this year? Can I use Cal Racing again or is it the wrong part of the country? [my geography is not good, I’m afraid..]
Cal Racing = California Racing. Churchill Downs happens to be in Kentucky, so no.
This year US TV coverage is all over the place – 4 different channels (TSN, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC). The networks don’t want to use an entire afternoon block for such a little-watched sport (the Kentucky Derby excepted), so a couple hours here and there is all we can get.
I think all of the races except the Marathon will be streamed on ESPN/WatchESPN though. http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index Not sure if you can access that in the UK.
More Breeders Cup stuff at http://www.breederscup.com/
Thanks again Miss W. Oh for the days when it was on Ch4!
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Getting muddled up. Thought it wasn’t on ATR, i.e. not on any channel! Really sick about it.
Can’t knock the race as a spectacle but Red Cadeaux wouldn’t be sighted in a Group 1 in Europe but the standard of horse we send is unlikely to change as long as the race clashed with the Breeders.
While we have sent a couple of very good horses, the trip the different track and style of racing isn’t likely to attract the Frankel’s of the racing world.
That won’t bother our Aussie friends as they can continue to hold the race in very high esteem and keep the tradition of beating off all comers, even if they did fail this year.
My Aussie mates are nuts about racing and when I mention Frankel one openly admits he hasn’t even bothered to watch him on U-tube as far as he’s concerned he’s not in the same class as Black Caviar: Nothing is. and if you want a second opinion their wine is also the best in the world
As there aren’t too many Group 1, 2 mile races on the European Pattern it might be fair to say Red Cadeaux would struggle to win one. However, he was beaten a length in the Irish Leger over 2 furlongs shorter and reversed the form with Jukebox Jury in receipt of 8 pounds as he was fully entitled to do. If you had a horse capable of winning the Prix Royal Oak or the Melbourne Cup which option would you take?
A 6 million $ race to average prizemoney,thats a no brainer!
Another slowly run race, with the whole field within 5/6l of each other turning in.
Little wonder Aussies consider their horses ‘versatile’, when they’re only being asked to race for 2.5f in the top staying race of their year.Were you watching the right race? the same race that Illo was 6 lengths in front? They went slowly for the first half mile.You could hardly call it an Aussie race it was all European,Aiden O’brien thought it was pretty easy to win when he set the pace with Septimus and co where did they finish? If the Europeans think they can set a fast pace they are welcome to try and win it that way.Funny when Red Cadeux runs a close 2nd everyone starts talking about the class.Yeats,Double Trigger and many more are forgotten,a lot of your best stayers didn’t fire a shot in the cup.But that is where excuses are made,oh it was too short,the pace wasnt fast enough,the track was too hard…
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Your own post says it all, Jollyp.
The pace is too slow forgenuine
stayers such as Double Trigger and Yeats not to get swamped by speedier types and it’s why the 12/14f European horses such as Red Cadeaux have the better record..
Septimus was probably Aidan O’Brien’s best chance, but even then they managed to balls the pace up by slowing down in the middle part of the race, allowing inferior European animals such as Bauer, Profound Beauty and Mad Rush (again –all 12/14f horses
) to finish in front of him.
One day we’ll send a proper stayer, with a lead horse that sets a true pace – rather than all this stop/start bollox – then you’ll really have to put the shutters up for future races.Reet, you refer to those 12/14f animals as inferior, and whilst they are, the truer reality is such Group race staying contests at 14f+ are overrated in the region of 5lbs. It’s not a coincidence the best "true" stayer in Europe in recent times, Yeats, also had the strongest 12f profile of any horse to attempt such races. Now Fame And Glory is doing the same. Quite frankly, any horse with decent 12f Group 2 form is a Group 1 stayer. Irish St Leger and Ascot Gold Cup winners are bound to be given 58kg every year in the Melbourne Cup. Knock off 2kg and you’ve got a truer reflection of their ability……. in my opinion, of course.
The problem, in comparison, for Australian racing is they have just one 12f wfa G1, Derby’s the quality of Listed races and Golden Slipper 2nd’s dashing 9l clear in a sit-sprint VRC Oaks – with a last 600m in 34.70.
- Total Posts 17716
Jose
While I’d broadly agree that the greater the distance, the thinner the opposition (much the same over hurdles, too), it’s stamina that kills the speed horses and the Melbourne Cup has proven – time and time again, because of the way it is run – to favour the latter over the former.My broadband is so slow I even gave up on the ATR replays, Grimes, but at least I got to listen to the Breeders cup on Timeform radio and, although Radiosport died on me on Melbourne Cup day Radio 5 live had it on. I like listening to international races on the radio [good job, really!].
My broadband is so slow I even gave up on the ATR replays, Grimes, but at least I got to listen to the Breeders cup on Timeform radio and, although Radiosport died on me on Melbourne Cup day Radio 5 live had it on. I like listening to international races on the radio [good job, really!].
I expect we tend to take cable for granted, Moehat, but I’m glad to hear they do still broadcast some racing on the radio. I seem to remember they gave out the results quite regularly. Maybe Radio 2. Not so economic laying cables in the country I suppose.
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