Mullins dreaming of Melbourne Cup again after Royal Ascot win

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4 hours ago

By James Toney at Royal Ascot
Willie Mullins is a man with a plan and when he sets his sights on a target, he normally hits the bullseye.
Mullins has made no secret of his ambition to win the Melbourne Cup, the world's richest handicap, and thinks he's got a live chance for Flemington this year.
He thought one-time Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban was 'the one' for 'The Cup' but he came home a distant 14th when favourite two years ago and only improved that position by three last November.
Absurde got Mullins closer with a top five finish last year, just a couple of lengths behind winner Knight's House and his owners will be hoping Royal Ascot winner Ethical Diamond can do even better.
York's Lonsdale Cup now appears the likely target in August with Mullins hoping all road will then lead back Down Under.
"We will give him a little break and look at York – that is normally where we go from here," he said. "The Ebor would look possible too but we would love to go to Melbourne. If we can get him qualified, that would be wonderful, I think he'd really suit that race.
"It's probably the biggest flat race in the world that I can win with the type of horses we buy and that's why it's a race that we'd really love to win. We've keep coming back and trying to win it but you've got to have the right horses, so let's see."
It's over two decades since Mullins's first crack at the 'race that stops a nation', with a second, third and fourth on his resume, including Max Dynamite's lucky runner-up position ten years ago.
And he's quick to recount the story of his first trip to the iconic race 32 years ago, cheering Dermot Weld's Vintage Crop - the first overseas winner - to a victory and changed 'The Cup' forever.
Mullins took his career tally at Royal Ascot to 11 on Friday and has the odds-on favourite in the final race, the marathon Queen Alexandra Stakes.
Sober is a quality French-bred stayer last seen winning a novice hurdle in Killarney, while fellow Irish jumps trainer Gordon Elliott could provide the biggest challenge with the unpredictable Samui, who finished at the back of field in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.
Aidan O'Brien is locked in a battle for his 13th Royal Ascot top trainer title heading into the last day of the meeting.
Ballydoyle's five wins leaves them deadlocked with John and Thady Gosden but ahead on the standings because they've had one more third position.
However, Ryan Moore should comfortably wrap up his 12th top jockey prize, Oisin Murphy needing to ride a last day three-timer, while hoping Moore falters.
O'Brien and Moore arrived here needing one more Group One win to bring up their 150 as a partnership but landing Ascot's biggest prizes is no easy task.
Storm Boy is their only entry in the Saturday showpiece Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and while there are plenty ahead of him in the market, his trainer remains cautiously optimistic.
"He finished ninth at the Curragh last time but we knew he would need that run and he's come forward since then," he said. "He's fast and has shown us plenty of speed at home. We hope you will see a different horse to the one you saw at the Curragh.
However, perhaps the best O'Brien chance of the day belongs to Donnacha, with Comanche Brave a warm favourite in the Jersey Stakes, where brother Joseph also fires the highly-rated Saracen.
"The trip and ground will certainly suit him," said Donnacha O'Brien. "He's put together two good runs this season and we're hopeful he'll run a big race."
Five different Irish trainers have been in the winners' enclosure this week and Festival winning trainer John McConnell fires a long shot in the Wokingham Stakes, with 2022 Jersey Stakes winner Noble Truth.
The Kingman-colt has been lightly-raced since and has gained a wild child reputation, with Luke Morris the brave man in today's saddle. A high draw on the straight track at Ascot has been favoured this week and Noble Truth will leave from gate 31 at a huge price.