Melbourne Cup: Vauban delights Willie Mullins’ camp after settling in properly in Australia quarantine | Racing Information

Melbourne Cup favorite Vauban arrived in Australia over the weekend and has settled into his new environment on the Werribee quarantine centre.

Skilled by Willie Mullins, who can also be working the Ebor winner Absurde in Australia’s best race, Vauban has headed the market since his glowing win within the Copper Horse Handicap, by which Absurde was second.

Since then Vauban, a three-time Grade One winner over hurdles, has received the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes in easy fashion.

“Contact wooden, he appears wonderful,” Mullins’ assistant David Casey, who has travelled to Australia, advised www.racing.com. “He travelled properly, it appears he is consuming and consuming since he got here and arrived. He did not lose lots of weight and he is put all of it really again on since he got here. Delighted with him.

“(He) had a bit of hack this morning, nothing strenuous – so, to date so good.

“I went over and rode him final Tuesday earlier than he left, gave him a pleasant bit of labor and was very proud of him.”

Some European challengers typically absorb a warm-up race however with each Vauban and Absurde confirmed of a spot within the Melbourne Cup already, Casey feels there is no such thing as a have to go down that highway.

“I think about it will likely be straight in, it is trying that method,” Casey mentioned. “I think about the following couple of weeks will probably be fairly quiet for him after which we’ll begin constructing him up nearer to the race.

“It was nice that he received at Ascot and backed it up when he received in Naas – we’re right here and we’re delighted to be participating and clearly hopefully with a horse that may be aggressive.

“We will probably be thrilled if we will be aggressive within the race. 55kg for Vauban is type of what we anticipated – we type of thought someplace between 54.5 and 55.5.”

Casey, although, would like a little bit of rain earlier than the massive day at Flemington on Tuesday, November 7.

“They’re huge, robust horses, each of them – perhaps ground-wise, it is likely to be a bit of little bit of a drawback as a result of they could simply hit it a bit of bit more durable,” he mentioned. “I have never seen it this heat this early earlier than out right here. If there is a drop of rain round, I will not thoughts an excessive amount of. I may do with it in 5 weeks’ time perhaps!

“I feel Absurde will in all probability deal with it faster – Vauban has run and he received on very fast floor in Ascot, which wasn’t a difficulty – however you’d simply desire to not be working on it every single day, you recognize, when he’s huge and robust.”