Quiet coffee plans for Wohler and McEvoy

Andreas Wohler says barrier 24 for Red Cardinal in the Melbourne Cup has turned tactics into luck.

Trainer Andreas Wohler has been planning to meet with jockey Kerrin McEvoy to discuss Melbourne Cup tactics over a cup of coffee.

But the German trainer doesn’t know what they’ll discuss after Red Cardinal drew barrier 24 in Tuesday’s race at Flemington.

McEvoy’s first Cup win, on Brew in 2000, came from the widest draw of 22 after two scratchings from the race.

Wohler met Ryan Moore to discuss tactics before Protectionist’s win in 2014 which went out the window in a fast-run Cup.

Luckily for the trainer, who was saddling his first Cup runner, Moore found the right gaps and went on to victory.

Wohler said Red Cardinal’s campaign had been faultless until the barrier draw on Saturday night.

“I didn’t feel that well after the barrier draw,” Wohler said.

“I’m planning to meet Kerrin after the parade (Monday) for a cup of coffee and discuss what we might do, but we’ll probably just have a cup of coffee and leave it up to him.”

Wohler says there are few similarities between Protectionist and Red Cardinal who are part-owned by Australian Bloodstock.

The trainer had great faith in Protectionist, which was repaid in the Cup, while Red Cardinal is a lightly raced horse and on the improve.

“Protectionist had a tough character whereas Red Cardinal is a bit more sensible and a bit feminine, but he’s a very good horse in his own right,” Wohler said.

Red Cardinal goes into Tuesday’s race not having raced since August when he had a skin irritation when fifth in the Prix Kergorlay behind Marmelo.

Wohler said he would have preferred not to have run the stayer but as his previous start was in June it would have been too long between races.

Firm ground at Caulfield meant Red Cardinal missed the Herbert Power Stakes as a lead-up, a race Protectionist ran fourth in before his Cup success.