Irish master trainer Willie Mullins has brushed off talk of Melbourne Cup redemption while declaring Vauban his best chance of winning the race that stops a nation.
Mullins has unfinished business at Flemington, after Vauban was sent out as favourite last year but finished in the back half of the field.
His stablemate Absurde was also well-fancied and fared better in seventh.
Vauban is currently a $7 second-favourite for Tuesday’s $8 million feature behind the Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo ($6), with Absurde ($10) on the fifth line of betting.
Mullins has tried many times to win the Cup, coming closest when Max Dynamite ran second to 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance in 2015 and third to Rekindling two years later.
“As we know, you just don’t arrive and pick up the prize,” Mullins said.
“Last year a lot of people had us marked down for that, but I think our horses’ preparations this year have been good.
“Vauban’s form has been very good all season and he brings great depth of form into the race.
“Absurde has done nothing wrong and I think he’s a horse that’s maturing all the time in his mind.”
Pressed for the pick of his two runners, Mullins said: “Vauban’s form stands out.
“But I don’t know how good the other horse is — he just keeps improving.”
Top-weight Vauban (55.5kg) and champion British jockey William Buick will jump from barrier 11, while three-time Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy will steer Absurde (52.5kg) from barrier seven.
“Very, very happy with (the draw). I don’t think we can blame barriers or anything like that,” Mullins said.
“The weather forecast looks good. I think it’s 25 or 26 degrees and sunny — we should be able to handle that.
“Last year was tough on the Irish horses at 30-plus degrees.”
Vintage Crop’s groundbreaking win in the 1993 Melbourne Cup made the Dermot Weld-trained horse a crowd favourite. (AAP: Julian Smith)
Mullins is desperate to win the race he first witnessed live in 1993, when countryman Dermot Weld took the cup in its first year as an international race with Vintage Crop.
“It’s probably the biggest flat race in the world that I can win with the type of horses we buy,” the 68-year-old trainer said.
“That’s why it’s a race that we’d really love to win.
“We’ve been coming back and trying to win it. Hopefully this year is our year.”
Mullins stopped short of agreeing with suggestions the 2024 cup field is softer than last year’s.
“I don’t really know, but people are telling me it is,” he said.
“There’s a very good favourite (Buckaroo), but he probably hasn’t got the best draw of the race.
“But he’s going to be hard to beat.”
AAP