New plans are being made, wounds licked and post mortems held - literally and figuratively - in the international camp after a Melbourne Cup that staked its claim as one of the world's quality races.

Among the race's survivors the news was mostly positive on Wednesday.

At least four of the beaten international runners have engagements booked for either the Japan Cup later this month or the Hong Kong International meeting in December.

Others are planning on returning for next year's Cup and a couple more are simply looking for somewhere to lay down.

And those who brought the ill-fated French mare Verema to Melbourne were making plans to go home alone.

For the runner-up Red Cadeaux, the show moves on to either Tokyo or Hong Kong where he won last year, or both, with the only ripple disturbing the aftermath of a magnificent performance being an objection to suggestions the horse is past it.

Red Cadeaux's second placing under 56.5kg was arguably the best of his three Cup runs and his handler Robin Trevor-Jones has no doubt he has another one in the eight-year-old.

"I object to the trainer calling this his zimmer-frame tour," Trevor-Jones said.

"There's no way this horse is too old."

Dunaden, who finished 11th, is likely to go to the Japan Cup.

Trainer Mikel Delzangles said the 58.5kg the horse had to carry had more effect on his performance than advancing years or the firm track.

"He's fine, he went out for a walk and trot this morning," Delzangles said.

Third placegetter Mount Athos is also Hong Kong-bound after pulling up healthy and sound.

Connections praised the ride of Craig Williams to get the horse into a winning position from barrier 22 with Sara Cumani suggesting he might have done better had he found some trouble in the race.

"It might have helped to get some interference because we then would have got there a bit later," she said.

"But it was a gem of a ride."

Others who will join the flight to Hong Kong is fifth placegetter Dandino and the Irish mare Voleuse De Coeurs.

Brown Panther, who suffered severe cuts to a front leg in the Cup, is sore and sorry, but connections are keen to return to Melbourne for another try, as is trainer Willie Mullins whose runner Simenon ran a gallant fourth.