Last year’s beaten favourite Vauban returns to Australia in the Melbourne Cup 2024 for Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci. Despite failing to fire 12 months ago, connections want another tilt at the A$9,400,000 Grade 1 handicap.
With such big money on offer, first prize is worth more £2,350,000 at current exchange rates, it’s no wonder. Vauban could only finish a disappointing 14th in “The Race That Stops a Nation” last term. That doesn’t discourage Mullins or horse racing betting sites in the UK from favouring the six-year-old Galiway gelding again.
Vauban is prominent in the market as usual, and he’ll be joined Down Under by stable companion Absurde once more. This other Mullins mount finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup of 2023.
Completing the direct Anglo-Irish interest in the race this year is Onesmoothoperator, who won his prep race. Brian Ellison is out to complete a unique treble of valuable Flat handicaps with this horse after victories in the November Handicap and Northumberland Plate at Newcastle within the last 12 months.
There are lots of ex-European horses who have gone on to enjoy subsequent careers in Australia in the Melbourne Cup 2024 line-up. Some of these may be familiar to regular punters. They include Buckaroo, Circle Of Fire, Interpretation, Land Legend, Okita Soushi, Saint George and Sea King.
Buckaroo Also Fancied by Bookies in Melbourne Cup 2024
Of those, the ex-Joseph O’Brien inmate Buckaroo challenges Vauban for favourite. Now a five-year-old, the Fastnet Rock gelding won a Grade 1 three starts ago, and has since finished a close second in both the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup. The latter is often a key Melbourne Cup trial.
Buckaroo has the right pedigree for this longer trip as his dam produced Kihavah and Middle Earth. The former ran second in the Ebor Handicap at York this summer, while the latter landed the Melrose Handicap during the same meeting last year.
Now with Chris Waller, who saddled Verry Elleegant to Melbourne Cup glory in 2021, Buckaroo is popular on top betting sites as a result. A middling to high draw seems to produce the most recent winners. Stall 21 for Buckaroo might be a little wide, but Vow And Declare won from that gate in 2019.
The draw hasn’t been kind to new Harry Eustace recruit Sea King, however. He has Stall 1 for his second start in Australia after staying on into sixth in the Ebor. Sea King, who landed the Bendigo Cup on his debut Down Under, was a nose in front of Geelong Cup scorer Onesmoothoperator at York.
Godolphin Hope Zardozi Can Overcome Low Draw
Another prominent contender for the home team is last year’s Kennedy Oaks heroine Zardozi. Her powerful global owners IntGodolphin won this with Cross Counter back in 2018.
The way in which Zardozi shapes in her races suggests she may get the trip in the Melbourne Cup 2024. She went down by just a nose in the Metropolitan Handicap and has twice kept on well behind Buckaroo this term.
Stall 4 is an issue for Zardozi, with the four-year-old daughter of Kingman also relying on her damsire Dubawi to provide the required stamina for this 3,200m contest.
Splitting Buckaroo and Zardozi when third in the Caulfield Cup was Land Legend. Another British import to Australia, he has two victories over the Godolphin filly for Waller with the Galileo gelding just getting up in the Metropolitan.
Land Legend is a full brother to a dual 2m winner. Stamina won’t be an issue for the four-year-old. There are five lengths to find with Buckaroo off the same terms, however.
Those in Minor Money Last Year Have Melbourne Cup 2024 Hopes
Besides Vauban and Absurde, who have both won races in the UK since their last trip to Australia, two others that finished in the minor money last year come back for more. Interpretation fared based of those, coming sixth.
Ciaron Maher was the co-trainer of 2022 winner Gold Trip and has since saddled this other son of Galileo to second in the Geelong Cup. Interpretation is 2lb better off at the weights with Onesmoothoperator here.
He was also never near enough to throw down a serious challenge 12 months ago, but stall 14 in the Melbourne Cup 2024 provides a decent draw. Okita Soushi picked up some prize money for finishing 11th last year, and could be in better form this time.
Another Maher runner, this one also used to be trained by O’Brien in Ireland. Okita Soushi is 2lb lower in the weights than 12 months ago, so the six-year-old by Galileo looks well-treated. This is especially since he landed the Grade 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup when last in action.
Maher runs four in the Melbourne Cup 2024 with Circle Of Fire and Saint George completing his quartet. The latter is also one to note after his placed efforts in St Leger trials for Andrew Balding last year.
As for Circle Of Fire, he won the Sydney Cup. That is the only other Grade 1 race in Australia over 3,200m held in the spring (their autumn). Both are British imports Down Under in the right hands.
Mullins Mounts Face Five from Waller Stable
Not to be outdone by Maher, Waller runs five in all. Joining Buckaroo and Land Legend in the Melbourne Cup 2024 are last year’s Queensland Derby winner Kovalica and two outsiders, according to the betting.
Valiant King is yet another ex-O’Brien horse shipped to Australia for further racing. He’s an old rival of Vauban’s from his erstwhile career in Ireland, but yet to win Down Under.
Last of the Waller quintet is 2022 Victoria Derby winner Manzoice. That’s a long losing run stretching back two years, but he has a featherweight of just 7st 12lb as a result.
Prior to the Melbourne Cup 2024 but since their initial attempt, Vauban and Absurde have been campaigned differently by Mullins. The former has gone in top staying races in the British Isles, landing the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup during the Ebor Festival.
Vauban signed off for his second trip Down Under with a solid second in the Irish St Leger to Kyprios, the European Champion Stayer. As for Absurde, he won over obstacles when plundering the valuable County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. His prep race was victory in the Chester Stakes.
Melbourne Cup 2024 Draw & Odds
- Sea King (7st 13lb) UK – Hollie Doyle, Harry Eustace – 11/1
- Athabascan (8st 3lb) – SCRATCHED
- Warp Speed (8st 8lb) JPN – Akira Sugawara, Noboru Takagi – 28/1
- Zardozi (8st) – Andrea Atzeni, James Cummings – 12/1
- Trust In You (7st 12lb) – Mark Du Plessis, Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley- 125/1
- Knight’s Choice (8st 2lb) – Robbie Dolan, John Symons & Sheila Laxon – 125/1
- Absurde (8st 4lb) IRE – Kerrin McEvoy, Willie Mullins – 9/1
- Manzoice (7st 12lb) – Declan Bates, Chris Waller – 125/1
- Saint George (7st 12lb) – Tyler Schiller, Ciaron Maher – 25/1
- Okita Soushi (8st) – Jamie Kah, Ciaron Maher – 14/1
- Vauban (8st 10lb) IRE – William Buick, Willie Mullins – 11/2 fav
- Onesmoothoperator (8st) UK – Craig Williams, Brian Ellison – 15/2
- Just Fine (8st 5lb) – Jye McNeill, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – 50/1
- Interpretation (7st 12lb) – Teodore Nugent, Ciaron Maher – 16/1
- Sharp ‘N’ Smart (8st 6lb) – Michael Dee, Graeme & Deborah Rogerson – 50/1
- Mostly Cloudy (7st 12lb) – Karis Teetan, Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – 80/1
- Kovalica (8st 6lb) – Damian Lane, Chris Waller – 20/1
- Land Legend (8st 5lb) – Zac Purton, Chris Waller – 11/1
- Fancy Man (7st 12lb) – Ronnie Stewart, Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – 100/1
- Positivity (7st 12lb) – Winona Costin, Andrew Forsman – 100/1
- Buckaroo (8st 8lb) – Joao Moreira, Chris Waller – 6/1
- Valiant King (7st 13lb) – Craig Newitt, Chris Waller – 100/1
- The Map (7st 12lb) – Rachel King, Dan Clarken & Oopy Macgillivray – 50/1
- Circle Of Fire (8st 8lb) – Mark Zahra, Ciaron Maher – 28/1
All prices quoted best odds and correct as of 13:45 GMT on Monday, 4 November.
BettingSitesReviewed Verdict
The Mullins pair of Vauban and Absurde command respect, but BUCKAROO looks better than ever. He has the advantage of a permanent life in Australia over the Anglo-Irish raiders, who also include Onesmoothoperator.
Low draws make it difficult for Sea King and Zardozi, while last year’s other minor placed horses Interpretation and Okita Soushi are both capable of better. Saint George and Fancy Man could go well at bigger prices.
