One of the world's finest trainers of stayers, Andreas Wohler, has produced another class distance galloper that is now a new Melbourne Cup favourite.
On Saturday morning Australian time, quality galloper Red Cardinal raced away to win the $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup in the United States and subsequently has been made the new Cup favourite.
The German-based Wohler will take Red Cardinal home to his palatial base in Germany and will now be prepared for Australia's most important handicap, the $6 million Melbourne Cup.
American racing officials are hoping to build the Belmont Cup from a Group 3 event to a Group 1 in years to come. However, European stayers dominated in the event by being the first four over the line.
Wohler is no stranger to the Melbourne Cup as he won the race in 2014 when he brought quality stayer Protectionist around the world to win Australia's flagship horse race.
For Wohler he looks set to strike again as Red Cardinal confirmed with his comfortable win that he'll relish the wide open spaces of Flemington.
#10 Red Cardinal wins the Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup. pic.twitter.com/nkxBpqgOsD
— TVG (@TVG) June 9, 2017
Red Cardinal is quoted at $14.00, just ahead of the Godolphin-prepared Francis Of Assisi at $15.00, while last year's winner Almandin is $26.00.
It's unclear whether Ryan Moore will be available to once again join up with Wohler as they did in their successful 2014 victory.
Australia's talent scout Leigh Jordan said that the inclusion of Red Cardinal, whether it's in either the Caulfield or Melbourne Cup, the stayer would add an injection of "quality" into whatever race they choose.
"Andreas has proved that he can bring a horse across the world and be successful as in 2014 and Red Cardinal is shaping up the same way. The inclusion of these horses just heightens the profile of the Cup with the race being a truly international assignment.