Willie Mullins books three-time winning jockey again for £5m Melbourne Cup bid
The champion trainer is taking a different route to Flemington with Absurde by giving him a prep run but keeping the same rider for the big day at Flemington
Willie Mullins is keeping last year’s Melbourne Cup team intact by booking the race's most successful active jockey to ride Absurde in his third crack at the £5 million prize.
The reigning British and Irish champion jumps trainer is returning down under yet again in search of an elusive first win in the iconic race. Last year Absurde bettered his 2023 seventh-placed finish in the race when coming home in fifth, just a length and three quarters behind the winner Knights Choice.
Mullins has come close to victory twice with Max Dynamite who finished half a length second to 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance, ridden by history-maker Michelle Payne, under Frankie Dettori in 2015 and third two years later.
Absurde, a past Cheltenham Festival and Ebor winner, has continued to compete over jumps and on the Flat. He finished third in the County Hurdle in March, won the Sussex Champion Hurdle then was placed in three runs on the Flat.
He is taking a different path to the Melbourne Cup this time with Mullins giving him a prep race in Australia. He is set to contest the £2.5m Caulfield Cup a week on Saturday with Kerrin McEvoy inked in for the £5m feature on November 4.
McEvoy rode as number two to Frankie Dettori in Europe for Godolphin, riding several big winners including the St Leger in 2004. In Australia he has won three Melbourne Cups, more than any other active rider, on Brew, Almandin and Cross Counter.
A jockey has yet to be named for the Caulfield Cup but McEvoy will return for the Spring Carnival target.
Mullins’s assistant David Casey said: “Kerrin said he is looking forward to riding him again. Absurde is in really good order. He seems really fresh and well in himself. I think he remembers being back here and the small bit of sunshine is bringing out the best of him.”
He told Racenet.com a warm-up run was designed to help the horse arrive fitter for the Melbourne Cup.
“He ran well in a couple of hurdles early in the season but his last couple of runs on the Flat have been just okay,” he said.
“But they were more building up fitness-wise for coming out here rather than anything else. That’s why we decided to go to Caulfield as well this year. We’ll build up to Caulfied and hope he can improve from there into the Melbourne Cup.”