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 tomorrow's AUD$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.
The Irish trainer says last year a lot of people had them marked down for that, but he thinks our horses' preparations this year have been good.
The international brigade are well positioned to once again capture the Melbourne Cup, with several raiders at the top of the markets for Tuesday's great race.
Mullins says Vauban's form has been very good all season and he brings great depth of form into the race.
He says Absurde has done nothing wrong and he thinks 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 he doesn'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.
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.
The Melbourne Cup race is at 4pm tomorrow.
Source: ABC
