Willie Mullins: 'I haven't fully made up my mind but I'd say Vauban will head straight to Melbourne Cup without another run'

Vauban is likely to head straight to Australia for the Lexus Melbourne Cup without another run according to Willie Mullins, despite being favourite with a number of bookmakers for the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York this month.

The 2022 Triumph Hurdle winner has made a seamless transition back to the Flat and followed up a wide-margin success in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot with a decisive success in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Naas on Monday.

He needed to place there to qualify for the Melbourne Cup but he did a lot more than that and Colin Keane always looked in control up the straight before the pair beat Valiant King by a length and a half.