Willie Mullins expecting more from Vauban in Melbourne Cup
Willie Mullins is hoping a changed preparation will see Vauban in a different light in this year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The six-year-old was sent off 9/2 favourite for last year’s renewal but could finish only 14th behind Without A Fight. However the trainer feels the writing was on the wall before the stalls even opened.
Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast he said: “I just think our prep wasn’t right. I wasn’t happy with him when I got to Australia. He’d done a lovely bit of work, and I think we left our race in that bit of work. That was the week before, so we’ve just changed things around a bit this year. We’ve also run him more. I’m bringing him out ready and it will be just keeping him ticking over once he gets out there.
“Last year we said we’d give him a break and bring him out there and get him ready and I don’t think that worked. I’m happy to do it the other way round this year, get him ready, bring him out and then run him.”
The handicapper has given Vauban half-a-kilo more to carry this time around and he heads to Australia off the back of a good win in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Stakes at York and finishing second to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger.
“I’m hoping he’s improved. I would just put a line through his run last year. The horse wasn’t right, the tactics weren’t right either so I think we put a line through that and I hope he will be the same horse if not better.
“He surprised me with the speed he showed in York at the end of the race, he got there too soon, he’s not slow and we know he stays.”
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