Ed Dunlop is considering the next plan of attack with Red Cadeaux following his fantastic run in defeat in the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.

The globetrotting seven-year-old has been a magnificent servant to his connections in recent seasons, going down by just a nose in the 2011 Melbourne Cup over 3200m and winning the Hong Kong Vase over 2400m last December.

Coming back to 2000m for the world's richest race at Meydan, Red Cadeaux flew home to finish an honourable second behind American star Animal Kingdom, leaving his trainer understandably thrilled.

"All is good. He appears to have taken the race very well," Dunlop said.

"We didn't know what to expect as it was his first run at the trip, but he's run a fantastic race and obviously loved the surface.

"Animal Kingdom won well and had his ears pricked, but if there had been another furlong we might have given him a bit of a fright.

"He's still in Dubai and as long as he stays sound, the plan is to go straight from there to his next race.

"There is a two-mile mile Grade One race in Japan called the Tenno Sho and the other option is the QEII Cup in Hong Kong over a mile and a quarter.

"He is clearly very effective at different distances, so we will weigh up what is best for the horse and make a decision in the next 24 to 48 hours."