Irish trainer Willie Mullins has declared his top Melbourne Cup hopeful Vauban is fitter than lst year and ready to race the 3200m feature today.
Vauban jumped the $5.50 favourite in last year’s Melbourne Cup, but failed to challenge and eventually finished 14th, behind winner Without A Fight.
But Mullins says Vauban has more miles under his belt this year and performed strongly last start, when he finished runner-up, behind Kyprios, in the Group 1 Irish St Leger.
Vauban, with William Buick expected to ride, is priced at around the $9.50 quote to win the Melbourne Cup this year.
“Vauban has come down here much fitter this year than last year,” Mullins said.
“We did a different program with him for the summer and I raced him all the way though, reckoning that I just need to freshen him up and maybe give him a blow out for the Cup.”
Mullins, who was speaking from Werribee, said Vauban and his other Melbourne Cup hopeful Absurde were both tracking well ahead of the November 5 race.
“I think both horses are ready this minute to run and that’s really the way I wanted them,” he said.
“It’s just biding time now and I think we’re ready.
“We came in on the first shipment last year and I didn’t see any benefit of it.
“I thought they were away from home far too long, so we’ve decided to completely change tactics, hopefully they work.”
Mullins, who initially had the Caulfield Cup on Absurde’s radar, said a victory in the Listed Chester Stakes (2916m) on August 31 had forced a rethink.
“He went to Chester and exceeded my expectations by winning there,” Mullins said.
“I think he is in the right place as well, I am much happier with him this year, he seems more mature in his mind watching him on the gallops this morning … he seems to have grown up.
“I was certainly keen to come back with Vauban, I hadn’t thought about it really for Absurde, I thought Caulfield Cup might suit him better.
“But the more I thought about it and looked at last year’s race, I thought ‘You know what, he has as good a chance as any’.”
Absurde will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy and is paying around $17 with Ladbrokes to win the Melbourne Cup.
Another Irish horse Jan Brueghel, trained by Aidan O’Brien, is $4.50 favourite to win the Melbourne Cup.
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