How to watch the Melbourne Cup 2023 as Vauban goes for glory
The Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, according to our friends Down Under, and the big prize could be heading home!
Willie Mullins’ dual-purpose star Vauban is the big Irish hope after coming on leaps and bounds on the level over the summer, while stablemate and Ebor winner Absurde is another leading contender.
If you want to watch the Melbourne Cup – worth more than €2.5million to connections of the first past the post – then you’ll have to get up pretty early as the post time is set for 4am on Tuesday, November 7. Yikes.
But you can take comfort from the fact that the guys and gals at Virgin Media One will be busy working to bring you live coverage of the Melbourne Cup from 2:30am to 4:30am.
Alternatively, British viewers can catch the race on Sky Sports Racing.
Our man Fran Berry is tempted to set his alarm for the big race.
“There’s a good incentive to get up early this year,” the former jockey and all-round good egg said on our From The Horse’s Mouth podcast.
“I was talking to Willie Mullins at Galway last Monday and he said [assistant trainer] David Casey was very happy with him. He’s crossing his fingers with how well and how happy they are.
“Willie’s training style against the Australians has drawn a bit of local chat as it often does with the European runners with how much they do pre-race compared to the Australians.
“David’s been down there before and the team know what they need to do to get a horse to track.
“I thought Vauban looked fantastic – and Absurde!
“Look, two big Irish chances and we’ll be cheering on Vauban.
“I’ll give a mention to the Japanese-trained runner Breakup, who shaped well to a point at Caulfield and has good form over two miles in the Tenno Sho at Kyoto.
“Hopefully, Willie can kick off his winter campaign in good style with a Melbourne Cup win!”
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