Dual Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux almost had an important track gallop derailed at Werribee on Tuesday.

Red Cadeaux worked off from the 1600m and was approaching the 1000m when trainer Ed Dunlop's assistant Robin Trevor-Smith sensed a potential problem as Japanese Caulfield Cup entrant Admire Rakti and stablemate Admire Inzamuna had kicked off their work.

Red Cadeaux pressed on with his gallop and by the time he entered the final stages his rider had angled the gelding well away from the fence to give him clear running home.

Trevor-Smith didn't see the final stages of the work because he was trying to attract the attention of the two riders on the Japanese horses as Red Cadeaux steamed towards them.

But Trevor-Smith was a lot happier once he had spoken to his track rider who reported Red Cadeaux was in great shape.

"Thank goodness they stayed on the rail rather than move off it when doing their hack canters," Trevor-Smith said.

"(When doing) trackwork, everybody knows wherever you are, the slower you go the further out you go.

"They were doing a hack canter up the inside where we're meant to be doing our gallop."

Despite the hiccup, Trevor-Smith said the gelding was in excellent shape in preparation for his fourth attempt at the Melbourne Cup.

He said Red Cadeaux was in similar condition to what he was leading up to last year's attempt when second to Fiorente.

"His weight is telling me that we are about the same stage we were at this time last year and we've got to hold this now," Trevor-Smith said.

"He's enthusiastic, his work is good and everything at the moment is going lovely."

With three weeks to go to the Melbourne Cup, Trevor-Smith is planning a trip to Geelong next Tuesday in a change of scenery for Red Cadeaux who has been at Werribee since September 27.

But he said he Red Cadeaux would have no more than a leisurely canter.