Cup decision is close for Dunaden

Mon 23 Jul

A decision on whether Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden will defend his title is expected to be made very soon after his run in the weekend’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The racing manager for Sheikh Fahad Al Thani's Pearl Bloodstock, said this morning he will talk to the Mikel Delzangles-trained star's owner overnight as to what is the best major target for the French stayer.

David Redvers told RSN’s Racing Ahead program this morning a decision has to be made on whether it’s the Melbourne Cup in November or the Arc de Triomphe in October.

“As it stands at the moment, my hunch is the Arc is the probable outcome.

“We really needed the King George to show us one way or another whether he's really got the class and the speed to cope with the top mile-and-a-half horses in Europe.

“He showed in the Hardwicke that he was there or thereabouts. We hoped to get a clearer picture yesterday, but we didn't because the race couldn't have been run worse to suit him,” Redvers told RSN.