CONNECTIONS OF VAUBAN are harbouring high hopes as he faces his moment of destiny in Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old heads the market for the Group One handicap (Tuesday 4am GMT) after making a seamless switch to the Flat following three wins at the highest level over hurdles.
A seven-and-a-half-length winner of the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, Vauban then struck Group Three gold in the Ballyroan Stakes on his prep run, leaving big-race rider Ryan Moore confident his mount has plenty in his favour in the 24-runner race.
The jockey told Betfair: “Whether or not he deserves to be so short in the betting in a 24-runner handicap in which luck in running can be a big factor, I’ll let others decide. I only ride them.
“But you’d rather be on a 5-2 favourite than a 50-1 outsider.”
He added: “It seems like they are delighted with the way he has travelled and has settled in and here is hoping he can give me my first winner of this race since Protectionist in 2014. My only win in the race, in fact.”
Mullins is equally upbeat, rating Vauban and Absurde as his best Melbourne team yet, having saddled Max Dynamite to finish second in the race in 2015 and third two years later.
He told www.racing.com: “I think he’s (Vauban) as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we’ll find out that on Tuesday.
“It’s our strongest chance ever, it probably will be my strongest chance ever.
“We wouldn’t want to forget Absurde either, he did it very well with Frankie (Dettori) in the Ebor, Frankie gave him a terrific ride there.
“He has quarantined very well, and I think he’s in great shape.”
There are no British-trained runners this year, with Joseph O’Brien’s Okita Soushi the only other European contender, but there are plenty of familiar names in the line up with last year’s winner Gold Trip going again for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott run 2020 Derby hero Serpentine and Chris Waller has last year’s Irish Oaks victor Magical Lagoon.
