Mullins contemplates Stayers' Hurdle for Vauban
Vauban and Paul Townend on their way to winning the Spring Juvenile Hurdle
The Stayers' Hurdle could be next on the agenda for Vauban, as Willie Mullins' entrant into the Melbourne Cup came up short once again.
In the wake of Vauban's consecutive disappointments at the Melbourne Cup, trainer Willie Mullins is pondering a potential shift in the gelding's racing career.
Having previously triumphed in the Lonsdale Cup and come close in the Irish St Leger, Vauban's latest lackluster performance down under has forced Mullins to reconsider.
Speaking to Racing TV at Naas, Mullins expressed his belief that Vauban's struggles might be related to the warm temperatures in Melbourne, as the horse thrives in cooler climates.
While Vauban may not return to the land Down Under, his stablemate Absurde, who finished fifth in this year's Melbourne Cup, is likely to make another bid in 2025.
“The weather was 25 or 26 degrees on the day and we thought that should be OK, but he just doesn’t seem to travel down there,” said Mullins.
“Absurde ran great and the two of them more or less trained the same. I don’t think Vauban will go back down, Absurde will go back down next year. With a clear run he would have been a top three finisher, so he has every chance.
“We will look at going to Saudi. They’re due to travel back on Wednesday, so between now and Tuesday we’ll have to decide.
“Vauban if he comes back, would he go for a Stayers’ Hurdle or something like that? I think that would be a possibility if Rich (Ricci) wants to do that, if he wants to stay on the Flat (he could) go to Saudi.
“He probably wasn’t good enough to win a Champion Hurdle and didn’t jump well enough, but going half a mile an hour slower over an extended trip might suit him better, and he’d be class horse in that division I think.”
