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Vauban heads the contenders for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday as Irish coach Willie Mullins seeks his first win in Australia’s most well-known race.
Mullins additionally saddles Absurde within the two-mile contest, whereas final yr’s victor Gold Journey seeks one other triumph.
A crowd of 100,000 is due at Flemington for “the race that stops a nation”.
Britain’s Ryan Moore, a winner in 2014 with Protectionist, rides Vauban after taking Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf in the US with Auguste Rodin.
Mullins has received all the main bounce racing prizes, together with the Grand Nationwide and three Cheltenham Gold Cups, however this is able to be his largest victory in Flat racing.
“Trying on the profile of our yard, I do not suppose we’ll win a Breeders’ Cup, the prospect of profitable an Arc goes to be powerful, so to us, the kind of horse we now have, it will most likely be the largest race on the earth we might win,” he mentioned.
There have been 4 earlier Irish-trained winners of the Melbourne Cup – Classic Crop (1993), Media Puzzle (2002), Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Fee (2020).
The latter pair represented Joseph O’Brien, who runs Okita Soushi this time.
British rider Hollie Doyle would be the first feminine jockey from exterior Australia or New Zealand to participate within the race as she companions Future Historical past for trainers Ciaron Maher an David Eustace.
The pair, profitable with Gold Journey final yr, additionally saddle Proper You Are, Ashrun and Interpretation.
Doyle will look to comply with Michelle Payne, who grew to become the one lady to triumph on Prince of Penzance in 2015.
“He [Future History] will get Hollie Doyle on board, most likely one of many strongest riders in Europe, and I am positive he’ll make his presence felt,” Maher mentioned.
Caulfield Cup winner With out A Battle, Soulcombe – previously skilled in Britain by William Haggas – and Japanese contender Breakup are amongst different main contenders.
Serpentine, a shock winner of the Derby at Epsom in 2020 for Joseph’s father Aidan O’Brien, represents Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Organisers will hope all runners return safely, as within the final two runnings.
Stricter checks on abroad runners had been launched in 2021 after six equine fatalities within the earlier eight years.
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