Horse Racing
Willie Mullins Melbourne Cup Runners 2024 Sees Irish Trainer With Three Entries
Andy is a horse racing journalist and betting expert who specializes in trends and stats. With his long association with TrainersQuotes and FromTheStables, Andy has also built up solid contacts with some of the best stables in the UK. Has written for GeeGeez and bookmakers Matchbook and BetBright in the past too, plus was the former sports betting editor of odds comparison site Easyodds and Juicestorm. Has also appeared on betting podcasts for MatchBook and has featured in the popular Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Guide in the past. Andy's also ghost written for former top jockey Richard Dunwoody and continues to have a monthly column in the Racing Ahead horse racing magazine. Now a regular on Sportscasting giving his views, trends and tips mainly on horse racing - if there's a stat to be explored and it's a sport, Andy is sure to find a betting angle to use.
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The Willie Mullins Melbourne Cup runners 2024 will see the Closutton handler with three entries that are spearheaded by Vauban and Absurde, who both ran in the race 12 months ago.
Vauban Will Be Back For Another Melbourne Cup Attempt
Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins and popular owner Rich Ricci went close to landing the Melbourne Cup in 2017 when Max Dynamite finished third and 12 months ago they thought they’d be going two places better when Vauban was sent off as favourite.
However, under jockey Ryan Moore, who took the race in 2014 on Protectionist, Vauban trailed in a disappointing 14th – beaten just over 13 lengths at the line behind Without A Fight.
The good news for horse racing fans though is Vauban is back bite at the Melbourne Cup cheery – with his trainer Willie Mullins entering him for the 2024 race on Tuesday 5th November at Flemington Park.
After his flop in the race, the versatile Vauban, who is also a Cheltenham Festival winner, was given a break and didn’t run over jumps at all last season.
He returned this year on the flat – running four times that included a fine fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup in June and was last seen getting back to winning ways at York in the G2 Lonsdale Cup (watch below) – a win that booked his trip Down Under for a second time.
Absurde Will Also Be Back For A Second Melbourne Cup
Recent Chester winner, Absurde has a similar profile to his stablemate Vauban and Willie Mullins confirmed last year’s 7th will be heading back to the Melbourne Cup again in 2024.
Absurde, who took the Ebor Handicap in 2023, is also a Cheltenham Festival winner when taking this year’s County Hurdle, and last year finished seven places ahead of Vauban in the ‘Race That Stops a Nation’.
Mullins will round off his Melbourne Cup assault with Hipop De Loire, who will be running in the race for the first time.
This former German Listed winner was last seen running an excellent fifth in the Ebor Handicap at York – beaten just 4 1/2 lengths, having been denied a clear run (watch below).
Willie Mullins Melbourne Cup Runners 2024
- Vauban
- Absurde
- Hipop De Loire
When Is The Melbourne Cup 2024?
📅Date: Tuesday 5th November 2024
⌚Time: 4:00am (GMT)
🏇Racecourse: Flemington (2m)
💰Winning Purse: £2,485,875
📺 TV: Sky Sports Racing
Other Possible Irish Melbourne Cup Runners 2024
Joining the Willie Mullins trio from Ireland we could also see some other big names running in the Melbourne Cup from the Emerald Isle.
Recent Ebor Handicap winner Magical Zoe gained an automatic slot when winning that York race in August and she could be joined by an army of Aidan O’Brien runners (see below), despite them all unlikely to run.
- Magical Zoe (Henry de Bromhead)
- Grosvenor Square (Aiden O’Brien)
- Illinois (Aiden O’Brien)
- Jan Brueghel (Aiden O’Brien)
- Point Lonsdale (Aiden O’Brien)
- The Equator (Aiden O’Brien)
- The Euphrates (Aiden O’Brien)
Five British-Trained Melbourne Cup Runners 2024
As well as the strong Irish presence of Melbourne Cup runners 2024, there are also five possibles from the British yards.
There were no runners from Britain in 2023, but that looks set to change in 2024 with five horses still holding entries at this stage.
These include the John Gosden-trained Arrest, who won the 2023 Chester Vase, Onesmoothoperator for Brian Ellison and Sea King for the Harry Eustace camp.
- Night Sparkle (Andrew Balding)
- Relentless Voyager (Andrew Balding)
- Arrest (John and Thady Gosden)
- Onesmoothoperator (Brian Ellison)
- Sea King (Harry Eustace)
Champion Australian Trainer Chris Waller Has Record-Breaking 21 Melbourne Cup Entries
In addition to the many possible British and Irish-trained Melbourne Cup runners 2024, on the home front it’s Aussie champion handler Chris Waller that is dominating the entries with 21.
Waller’s only Melbourne Cup success came in 2021 with Verry Elleegant, while 2022 joining winning trainer Ciaron Maher has 16 of the 123 nominations – including Sydney Cup winner and one of the favourites Circle Of Fire.
2023 Melbourne Cup Hero Without A Fight Is Entered Again
The last horse to win back-to-back Melbourne Cups was Makybe Diva, who actually won the race three times between 2002 and 2005.
However, we have a chance of another repeat winner in 2024 as last year’s hero Without A Fight is also amongst the entries at this stage.
The former Simon and Ed Crisford runner powered home by an easy 2 1/4 lengths last year, having previously landed the Caulfield Cup a month earlier.