A virus scare has swept through the Werribee Quarantine Centre, affecting last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.

Red Cadeaux has been removed from his stable after another horse in the same facility came down with a virus.

Red Cadeaux has been removed from his stable at Werribee after a virus scare. Photo by: Daniel Costello

The first horse to exhibit signs of the illness was Hartani, who is owned by Llyod Williams.

Fortunately Hartani has not been entered into any of the spring carnival feature races and is expected to make a full recovery.

While Red Cadeaux’s connections are anxious over the possibly of contamination at the Werribie Quarantine Centre, the horse is yet to show any symptoms.

Despite the threat of infection, Red Cadeaux completed his scheduled work this morning with jockey Michael Rodd aboard.

Rodd was over the moon with Red Cadeaux’s condition prior to his second Melbourne Cup run.

“He felt fantastic,” Rodd said.

“He’s bigger and stronger than last year, it’s very noticeable when I sit on him that he feels a lot wider.”

Red Cadeaux finished second to Dunaden in last year’s Melbourne Cup, in what was the narrowest margin in the Cup’s history.

The six-year-old has since had a number of runs in his home country of England, with his most recent result being a third placing in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’ Goldsmiths Stakes at Newmarket in July.

“I was told to put a pen through his last run when he was third at Newmarket, but his previous four runs in Europe this time in were all very good,” Rodd said.

“But perhaps the big thing is that I understand him better now.

“Last year I got to the front too soon because he caught me by surprise when he sprinted so quickly.”

Now the talented stayer will just have to make it Melbourne Cup Day virus free.

Fellow international runners, Dunaden and Americain, are not in danger of contracting the virus as they are housed in a different compound.