- The Melbourne Cup has eluded Willie Mullins for some time
- Vauban failed to bounce back from last-year’s race
- Mullins spoke out on what the future holds for him at Flemington
While it seems that Willie Mullins’ dominance and sensational success in the world of racing proceeds him there is still one race that has managed to elude the champion trainer.
On Tuesday, the Irishman saw his two horses Vauban and Absurde run in the Melbourne Cup as the trainer attempted to end his duck at Flemington.
Coming into the race, Vauban had been backed as a $7 favourite alongside Buckaroo and Onesmoothoperator – who had been priced at $7.50.
After Vauban had slumped to 14th in the field in 2023, with Absurde finishing seventh, Mullins was once again left wanting, with the former failing to bounce back from the woes of last year’s race, finishing 11th.
Drama unfolded at Flemington on Tuesday afternoon as none of the three big favourites actually managed to place inside the top three finishers.
It was Knight’s Choice, ridden by Robbie Dolan, an $81 outsider, who would seal victory with a photo finish on the day, with Warp Speed and Okita Soushi coming third and fourth. Absurde placed fifth.
And having now failed to place in the top five in two successive outings in the Cup, Mullins suggested that the Susannah Ricci-owned six-year-old gelding just couldn’t adapt to the conditions down in Melbourne.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins believes Vauban ‘doesn’t like the conditions’ in Melbourne, claiming the horse’s Melbourne Cup run was ‘disappointing’
Vauban finished 11th in the race, a disappointing placing that follows on from his 14th-place finish in 2023
‘Obviously Vauban doesn’t like conditions down here, which is disappointing,’ Mullins said according to the Racing Post.
‘Everything went well beforehand but you could see from halfway that he wasn’t enjoying it.’
Ricci’s husband, Rich, spoke out on Vauban’s race stating: ‘We’re disappointed again.
‘He looked like a picture in the mounting yard and was ready to rock. William said from halfway he was flat out and I think we did well to finish eleventh.
‘For whatever reason he just doesn’t seem to travel down here well and we’re puzzled.
‘Maybe we should stay here, I don’t know. I’ll talk to Willie and we’ll have to figure out what to do as I’m not sure what we can do in Europe with him.’
Mullins, though, admitted that his ‘quest’ to finally get a winner in Melbourne will rage on, with the trainer admitting he will keep returning.
‘Absurde ran a cracker considering he got shuffled back further than anticipated and Kerrin wanted to be,” he said.
Mullins admitted that Absurde will return and that his ‘quest’ to win his first Melbourne Cup was ‘still on’
‘He had to ride the race presented to him and he rode a terrific race to get back up to be fifth.
‘Racing is full of disappointments and that’s just another one. We’ll keep coming back if we have the ammunition and I think Absurde will return.
‘The owners are keen as they’ve had a wonderful time. We’ve bought a few new horses that might make into Melbourne Cup horses, so the quest is still on.’
