Soulcombe Looks to Upset Vauban in Melbourne Cup

A 24-hour window more than two years ago could prove the difference between winning and losing this year’s Melbourne Cup (G1) and agent Mathew Becker hopes the near miss on Vauban  doesn’t come to bear.

Becker’s clients have Soulcombe and last-start Bendigo Cup (G3) winner Interpretation  in the Cup, but for a day during the late European summer of 2021, the 2023 Cup favorite Vauban could have also been sporting the colors of prominent owner Ozzie Kheir in Australia’s most recognizable race.

Instead, Ireland’s training maestro Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci bought the high-class stayer just before Kheir was prepared to make a substantial offer for the then 3-year-old winner of the Prix Frederic de Lagrange in France.

He has won five races since for Mullins and Ricci, including his past two starts at Royal Ascot and most recently in the Ballyroan Stakes (G3) at Naas.

Despite the looming threat of Vauban and the Mullins-trained Ebor Handicap-winning stablemate Absurde —two of the three horses in the field of 23 yet to race in Australia—Becker is confident in the hand Kheir and his partners hold for this year’s Cup.

Soulcombe is the group’s top seed, having beaten home Caulfield Cup (G1) winner and Cup rival Without A Fight  in the Underwood Stakes (G1) and Cox Plate (G1) winner Romantic Warrior in the Turnbull Stakes (G1).

Then things went awry in the Caulfield Cup, and the Chris Waller-trained European import, who was purchased by Becker and Kheir about 18 months ago, bombed the start by about six lengths before closing to finish seventh, 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner.

“The form around him for a Melbourne Cup is outstanding. So, we thought he was a big chance in the Caulfield Cup, but he threw it away at the start and you just can’t do that in those races,” Becker told ANZ Bloodstock News.

Kheir and Becker also have the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Interpretation set to run in the Cup, with the agent taking some confidence out of the precedent set last year when his stablemate High Emocean won the Bendigo Cup prior to running third in the Cup. 

“The reality is, he’s going to be sitting there trying to get a piece of the place money. It’d be hard to see him winning but one thing is, he’s also had a really good grounding,” Becker said. 

So how does Becker assess the chances of Vauban, who was backed to win more than $2.4 million at yesterday’s Call of the Card at Melbourne’s Crown Casino?

“I think the market’s got it right. He rates like a very good horse and he’s probably very well weighted for what he could be,” Becker said. 

While full of respect for Vauban, if he is to be beaten, Becker believes it may be the tempo of Australian racing which brings him undone.

“Racing here can be more tactical where absolute stamina doesn’t win you the races, it’s tactical speed and at some point you’re going to need to sprint. 

“I think to get him beaten, if the race turns into a muddling pace or he doesn’t begin well and he gets shuffled back the fence and he needs a turn of speed to get out of trouble, that would be our opportunity to beat him, but if Ryan (Moore) gets let loose with him up the front I can see him being awfully hard to run down.”

If that does happen, it could be Soulcombe who emerges as the winner.

“We’re optimistic but you can’t be confident going into a Melbourne Cup—it’s a hard race to win—but we wouldn’t swap him for anything in the race.”