Mini plunge on Melbourne Cup favourite's stablemate

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Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban has on Sunday been a marked drifter in betting for the race that stops a nation — but his stablemate has been heavily backed.

Vauban was $3.30 on Sunday morning post the barrier draw however, as at 8pm, drifted to $4.40.

His stablemate, Absurde, to be ridden by Zac Purton, has been the big shortener in the race, firming from $21 into $12.

The Willie Mullins stable has been adamant since Saturday night there is not much between both horses.

Soulcombe ($10-$9.50) and Without A Fight ($7-$6) have been supported while last year's winner Gold Trip has also eased from $4.60 to $6 on Sunday.

Absurde has been heavily backed on Sunday.

Other firmers on Sunday have been Breakup ($19-$18), Future History ($26-$23), Lastotchka ($26-$21), Vow And Declare ($34-$26), Military Mission ($41-$31), Ashrun ($41-$34), Kalapour ($61-34), Serpentine ($71-$41) and Alenquer ($71-$51).

The money trail suggests punters are starting to believe the Cup is more wide open than many pundits suggest.

Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban drew barrier three for the $8.4 million 3200m Group 1, flanked by reigning champion Gold Trip (two) and Soulcombe (four).

Without A Fight fared the worst of the main players, drawn out in barrier 16.

Champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who only arrived in Melbourne on Saturday morning, declared Vauban his "strongest chance ever" to win the Melbourne Cup.

Mullins placed twice in the Cup previously with Max Dynamite.

"I think he's (Vauban) as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we'll find that out on Tuesday," Mullins said.

"It's our strongest chance ever, probably will be my strongest chance ever.

"We wouldn't want to forget Absurde either… he's quarantined very well and I think he's in great shape."

Willie Mullins says Vauban is his "strongest chance ever" to win the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Mullins would not be drawn on tactics for Tuesday, happy two of the world's best jockeys, Ryan Moore and Zac Purton, to navigate the race.

"We have got a nice draw, everything has gone right, the quarantine has gone right, the draw has gone right," Mullins said.

Vauban was responsible for 17 per cent of all bets on the Melbourne Cup with TAB prior to the final field being declared on Saturday.

Gold Trip's co-trainer Ciaron Maher said: "I was hoping he'd be out in the middle (barriers) somewhere as he likes to get out a bit it."

"Still, you never pass up a good gate and the horse is well… he's better than last year but I think he needs to be. I think the race is stronger, the track is going to be firmer and he's going to have a bit more weight.

"He needs to be going better to win but I think he is."

Gold Trip is shooting for back-to-back wins in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Emerging barrier rogue Soulcombe blew the start by four lengths in the Caulfield Cup.

"We have taken the blinkers off … from that draw if he can begin he is going to be right in it," Chris Waller's assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said of Soulcombe.

"He has drawn a beautiful barrier, now it is down to the horse."

– additional reporting by Brad Waters and Glenn McFarlane

■ The Melbourne Cup is race 7 on Tuesday's program and the starter is set to let them fly at 3pm.

Here is the field and barrier draw for the 2023 Melbourne Cup.

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1 – GOLD TRIP – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – James McDonald – 2 – 58.5kg
2 – ALENQUER – Michael Moroney – Damien Oliver – 9 – 56.5kg
3 – WITHOUT A FIGHT – Anthony & Sam Freedman – Mark Zahra – 16 – 56.5kg
4 – BREAKUP – Tatsuya Yoshioka – Kohei Matsuyama – 18 – 55kg
5 – VAUBAN – Willie Mullins – Ryan Moore – 3 – 55kg
6 – SOULCOMBE – Chris Waller – Joao Moreira – 4 – 53.5kg
7 – ABSURDE – Willie Mullins – Zac Purton – 8 – 53kg
8 – RIGHT YOU ARE – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – John Allen – 15 – 53kg
9 – VOW AND DECLARE – Danny O‘Brien – Billy Egan – 19 – 53kg
10 – CLEVELAND – Kris Lees – Michael Dee – 23 – 52kg
11 – ASHRUN – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Kerrin McEvoy – 11 – 51.5kg
12 – DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR – Phillip Stokes – Daniel Stackhouse – 12 – 51.5kg
13 – OKITA SOUSHI – Joseph O‘Brien – Dylan Gibbons (a) – 20 – 51.5kg
14 – SHERAZ – Chris Waller – Beau Mertens – 22 – 51.5kg
15 – LASTOTCHKA – Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) – Craig Williams – 21 – 51kg
16 – MAGICAL LAGOON – Chris Waller – Mark du Plessis – 7 – 51kg
17 – MILITARY MISSION – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Rachel King – 5 – 51kg
18 – SERPENTINE – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Jye McNeil – 1 – 51kg
19 – VIRTUOUS CIRCLE – Liam Howley – Craig Newitt – 6 – 51kg
20 – MORE FELONS – Chris Waller – Jamie Kah – 24 – 50.5kg
21 – FUTURE HISTORY – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Hollie Doyle – 13 – 50kg
22 – INTERPRETATION – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Teo Nugent – 17 – 50kg
23 – KALAPOUR – Kris Lees – Zac Lloyd (a) – 14 – 50kg
24 – TRUE MARVEL – Matthew Smith – Ben Thompson – 10 – 50kg