Willie Mullins left with mixed emotions after Melbourne Cup as Vauban fails again and Absurbe gallant in defeat
Irish raider Vauban was disappointing again in the Melbourne Cup but trainer Willie Mullins was thrilled with the performance of Absurbe.
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Willie Mullins knew Vauban’s Melbourne Cup hopes were gone at the halfway point of Tuesday’s $8m epic.
Mullins sent Vauban and Absurde back to Melbourne a year after both were unplaced in the Melbourne Cup, declaring the pair was in better shape for their second shot at the race.
Vauban was a handful for his strapper while parading in the mounting yard, eventually requiring travelling foreman David Casey to lend a hand leading the strong chestnut.
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Vauban briefly looked a chance when improving around the home turn but didn’t improve in the straight, finishing five lengths behind upset winner Knight’s Choice.
“Vauban was a bit disappointing,” Mullins said.
“He looked in trouble and he just wasn’t able to hold his place from the halfway point.
“We thought the preparation had gone right and he appeared very well in the saddling stalls but he just flattened out on the day.
“I was happy enough early but when they quickened it up halfway, you could see he was struggling.”
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While Vauban disappointed his backers and Mullins, Absurde thrilled the trainer with his effort to finish fifth, two places higher than his 2023 result.
“I’m delighted for Absurde’s connections,” Mullins said.
“He was probably a little further back than (jockey) Kerrin (McEvoy) wanted him.
“So to run into the money from where he was the first time around, it was a great run.”
Japanese trainer Noboru Takagi had mixed feelings after Warp Speed improved sharply in his Caulfield Cup run to go down narrowly in the Melbourne Cup.
Warp Speed was beaten 16 lengths in the Caulfield Cup but finished a half-head from becoming the second Japanese Melbourne Cup winner.
Takagi said he would have liked Warp Speed to have settled closer to the lead but was happy with jockey Akira Sugawara’s run.
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“We knew that Flemington was going to be a more suitable race for him so we were hoping for a much better run,” Takagi said.
“We wanted to go a bit more forward but at the same time, we knew he hasn’t got much speed out of the gates.
“He was really gallant with the small margin but at the same time, we didn’t think he was unlucky.
“We thought the jockey rode him well.
“We have to respect the winner, he was the better horse today.”
Takagi said he would like to return to Australia for another crack at the Melbourne Cup next year.
Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator finished 12th while Sea King, who won the Bendigo Cup at his previous outing, was 14th.
Originally published as Willie Mullins left with mixed emotions after Melbourne Cup as Vauban fails again and Absurbe gallant in defeat
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