Melbourne Cup handicappers baffled by Vauban's unusual profile

As the deadline for the 2023 Melbourne Cup entries looms, Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper David Hegan is puzzled by the enigmatic Irish horse Vauban.

Trained by Willie Mullins, Vauban has an unusual racing history, with only 14 starts—eight of them over hurdles.

“I can’t really remember a horse with a profile of Vauban because he’s only had 14 starts and eight of them have been over the hurdles,” told racing.com.

Vauban’s recent performances in flat races have resulted in victories, but they weren’t top-level competitions.

He secured his Royal Ascot win in a handicap event, and qualified for the Melbourne Cup through a Group 3 win in the Ballyroan Stakes.

This complicates matters for handicappers, especially since Vauban’s weight remains under scrutiny after the recent Ebor Handicap, won by his stablemate Absurde.

The challenge for handicappers is how to fairly assess Vauban’s weight.

“I can only base it on what he has done now and any form relativities around him,” said Hegan.

Nominations for the Melbourne Cup 2023 will be released at 12pm today with weights to be released in two weeks.