Mullins keeps fingers crossed to see if Simenon makes the Melbourne Cup cut

Emmet Mullins has plenty to worry about as he continues to oversee Simenon's preparation for Tuesday's Emirates Melbourne Cup.

The nephew and assistant of trainer Willie Mullins has been looking after the gelding since he arrived in Australia and partnered him in a racecourse gallop at Flemington earlier this week.

It is sit-and-suffer time for connections, though, as Simenon is 23rd on the list for the 24-strong field and could yet be pushed out if the winners of Saturday’s Mackinnon and Lexus Stakes take the opportunity for a guaranteed spot in the cup.

The ride on Simenon will also force Richard Hughes to sweat down to his lightest possible weight of 8st 6lb, while the jockey will be jetting in direct from action in the Breeders' Cup.

Beginning to impress
The versatile six-year-old, who was second to Estimate in the Gold Cup, is beginning to impress work-watchers at his Werribee base and caught the eye with his staying-on third in his prep-race, the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield over an inadequate mile and a half.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed and hope we get in,” said Emmet Mullins. “We’re delighted with him and he ran well in the Herbert Power. “It’s going to be a bit of a stretch (for Hughes to do the weight).

“I think he has only done the weight once this year and he’s a big guy but he’d been on at Willie for a while trying to get on the horse.”

Trainer Ed Dunlop has arrived Down Under and expects Red Cadeaux to be continuing on his global travels, despite joking the seven-year-old now "needs his zimmer frame".

Back for his third tilt after a frustrating but excellent second in 2011 and eighth 12 month ago, the seasoned campaigner finally arrested a slump in form when second to cup rival Royal Empire in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury.

Red Cadeaux finished up with fourth to the impressive Voleuse De Coeurs in the Irish Leger.

"He flourishes here," said Dunlop. "If he runs well, he'll go on to Japan and the Hong Kong Vase again, but he's got to run well here first."