Punters plunge on Melbourne Cup favourites stablemate

Since arriving in Melbourne in September, Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban’s stablemate, Absurde, was generally out of the conversation in local racing circles as a genuine winning chance for Tuesday’s 163rd edition of Australia’s most famous race.

However, since the barrier draw on Saturday night, the ‘second-stringer’ has been the hot horse on punters’ minds and that continued at today’s annual Call Of The Card in Melbourne.

In some markets as much as $31 could be snapped up on Saturday and after drawing barrier eight for the Group 1 3200-metre feature, that price came into $26.

On Monday afternoon, Irish trainer Willie Mullins’s ‘other’ chance had tumbled into $9.50 with Ladbrokes.

While Vauban’s appearance at Flemington last Tuesday set social media alight, Absurde garnered far less attention – until now.

The gelding earned a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup by winning the Ebor Handicap (2800m) at York in England in August.

Most notably, it was a Mullins quinella in the Copper Horse Handicap (3000m) at the Royal Meeting with Vauban beating home Absurde on level weights two months earlier.

“If you go back to that Royal Ascot run, things didn’t happen for him,” Mullins said.

“He gave Frankie (Dettori) an awful ride that day and he did his best to give Frankie an awful time at York, too, especially on the way to the start.”

The seven-year-old was cantankerous on the way to the starting gates at York but settled thereafter to record the victory after having to make a wider run, and being headed by race favourite Sweet William 200-metres from the line.

Two-kilos separates Vauban and Absurde under the handicap conditions of the Melbourne Cup.

“I thought he was beaten at York but he gave again,” Mullins added.

“To me, he has some improving to do from that run but I am happy with how he has quarantined and worked here.

“Vauban is overshadowing him a bit because he’s classier but he does get weight off to compensate for that.”

Hong Kong’s champion jockey Zac Purton flies to take the ride on Absurde at Flemington.

Vauban heads the Cup market at $4.60 with Without A Fight at $6.50 and Gold Trip at $7 with Australian betting sites.

Absurde occupies the fourth line of betting with the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe.