Red Verdon Connections Hoping Drama Is In The Past

[Wandering Eyes]

Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid) had a rather dramatic run into this year’s G1 Melbourne Cup-a mission that was ultimately shelved after the 5-year-old developed a hoof abscess just days before the Cup–but, thankfully for connections, his run into this weekend’s G1 Hong Kong Vase has been much smoother.

Red Verdon-who races for the same owner and trainer as the 2012 G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB})-had to endure an arduous flight to Australia in September which included being stranded on the tarmac in Sharjah for 14 hours after the plane he was aboard endured a cracked windscreen en route from London. Then, connections were left wondering what could have been after the chestnut was severely hampered in running in his Melbourne Cup prep, the G1 Caulfield Cup. Unfortunately they wouldn’t find out Down Under, with the foot abscess being the nail in the coffin for Red Verdon’s 2018 Australian adventure.

“It was a frustrating time in Melbourne but we’re through that now and ready for another chapter,” said Robin Trevor-Jones, assistant to trainer Ed Dunlop. “You could say, at least, that he’s a fresh horse on the scene for this race and hopefully he can run well but to be realistic, it does look quite a good Vase this year.

“Melbourne Cup horses do run well here and he’s settled in well which is good given that he’s gone from the countryside [Werribee, Australia] to the city. He’s taking it all in here. We took him to the paddock on Thursday and Friday last week and that woke him up a bit and he’s done really well over the weekend.

“All’s good with him,” Trevor-Jones added. “His foot’s good and he coped really well with the travel here. It’s only eight or nine hours from Australia, which is nothing compared to Newmarket to Melbourne with a cracked windscreen.”

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