Vauban's Resurgence: Melbourne Cup Contender Among the Favorites

Vauban's impressive win in the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup has catapulted the Willie Mullins-trained horse into contention for the Melbourne Cup. The three-time Grade 1 winner over hurdles was cut to 8-1 joint favorite with William Hill, with owner Rich Ricci confirming that the team had been working towards the Melbourne Cup all season. Vauban's Australian aspirations took a hit last year when it trailed in 14th place, but Ricci remains optimistic, citing valuable lessons learned from the experience.

Key Takeaways:

• Vauban won the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup, a significant prep race for the Melbourne Cup.
• Vauban was cut to 8-1 joint favorite with William Hill for the Melbourne Cup, a significant boost in odds.
• The horse was a three-time Grade 1 winner over hurdles before switching to flat racing.
• Vauban's owner, Rich Ricci, confirmed that the team had been working towards the Melbourne Cup all season.
• Ricci cited valuable lessons learned from last year's Melbourne Cup attempt, where Vauban trailed in 14th place.
• Oisin Murphy had a consolation win on Cool Hoof Luke in the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes.
• Murphy praised Cool Hoof Luke as a promising juvenile with a future ahead of it.

Statistics:

• Vauban's odds were cut from 14-1 to 8-1 joint favorite with William Hill for the Melbourne Cup.
• Vauban has won three Grade 1 races over hurdles.
• Cool Hoof Luke, ridden by Oisin Murphy, won the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes by threequarters of a length.
• 33-1 outsider Al Nayyir lunged for the line, finishing in second place behind Vauban.

Sources:

• William Hill
• Vauban's owner, Rich Ricci, as cited in the article.