Irish trainer Willie Mullins reveals burning ambition to win Melbourne Cup
Irish trainer Willie Mullins has been trying to win the Melbourne Cup since his first runner in 2003, and he isn’t giving up with a familiar pair poised to return for redemption.
There are wants and needs in life.
Burning ambitions, too.
For legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins the Melbourne Cup is all three – want, need and ambition.
The great Vintage Crop, trained by his compatriot Dermot Weld, lit the fuse.
Mullins was in the grandstand at Flemington in 1993 cheering on Vintage Crop for Ireland and his bank balance.
Every Australian dollar Mullins had in his possession, Melbourne was the last leg of a pilgrimage to world famous racecourses, went on Vintage Crop and he duly funded the international holiday.
Mullins has been trying to win the Melbourne Cup since he saddled Holy Orders and it finished 17th in 2003.
Max Dynamite, twice in defeat – second behind Prince Of Penzance (2015) and third to Rekindling (2017) – has fanned an eternal flame.
Mullins returned to Melbourne last year with a two-pronged assault – with race favourite Vauban and Absurde – but they melted in fast and hot conditions to place 14th and seventh respectively.
“We live and learn,” Mullins said.
A determined Mullins has Vauban and Absurde poised to return to Flemington this year in a quest for Cup redemption.
Absurde could first tackle the Caulfield Cup while Vauban is slated to arrive on the second international shipment in mid-October.
“It’s a race we’d really love to win, one of the iconic races in the entire world,” Mullins said.
“For a yard like ours, mostly jumping and a small bit of mixed, it’s probably as big a race as we can win, maybe the Ascot Gold Cup.
“We have staying types that could compete at that level, that’s our big aim to try to get that Melbourne Cup some day and bring it back here.”
Vauban has tuned up a treat, winning the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup (3269m) last start.
Crystal Black, trained by Gerard Keane, could also fly the Irish flag at Flemington in the race that stops a nation.
Crystal Black emerged as a Cup candidate with victory in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot on June 21 and then passed the ballot conditions by winning the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes on August 9.
Vauban won the Ballyroan Stakes last year en route to Melbourne.
Magical Zoe, another Irish-trained mare, prepared by Henry de Bromhead, won her way into the Cup with victory in the Ebor Handicap last weekend (August 24).
Highly-rated Coolmore stayers Grosvenor Square and Tower Of London, trained by Aidan O’Brien, could be considered pending results in coming weeks.
Grosvenor Square surged to the top of Melbourne Cup markets with a 20-length Irish St Leger Trial domination on August 17.
An English or Irish St Leger victory next month – September 14 and 15 respectively – could essentially handicap Grosvenor Square out of the Melbourne Cup.
Warp Speed will represent Japan in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
The Noboru Takagi-trained stayer placed fifth in the Group 1 Tenno Sho Spring (3200m) in late April.
The Cox Plate is likely to attract at least one, if not two, international-trained weight-for-age contenders.
OTI Racing has Cox Plate ambitions for Docklands, trained by Harry Eustace, brother of Melbourne Cup-winner David, now based in Hong Kong.
Originally published as Irish trainer Willie Mullins reveals burning ambition to win Melbourne Cup
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