Melbourne Cup odds fluctuate as Vauban drifts in betting
Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban has drifted in the betting after the barrier draw, but his stablemate has had a sizeable plunge surround him.
Vauban was as short as $3.20 on Saturday morning but has eased out to $4.20 following the barrier draw on Saturday night, where the six-year-old gelding drew barrier 3.
Vauban’s stablemate, the lightly-raced Absurde, has seen plenty of money with punters backing the six-year-old from $21 into $11, by Monday morning.
Soulcombe, initially at $10 with Melbourne Cup betting sites, has firmed to $9.50, while Without A Fight, with odds of $7, now stands at $6s, despite the challenge of a wide barrier draw.
Even last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, Gold Trip, has experienced fluctuating odds, easing from $4.60 to $7 on on Monday morning.
These Melbourne Cup fluctuations have not been limited to the front-runners. Other contenders have also witnessed changes in their odds, with Breakup moving from $19 to $18, Future History going from $26 to $23, and Lastotchka firming from $26 to $21.
The underdog stories are intriguing as well, with Vow And Declare shifting from $34 to $26, Military Mission from $41 to $31, Ashrun from $41 to $34, Kalapour from $61 to $34, Serpentine from $71 to $41, and Alenquer from $71 to $46.
These fluctuations in the betting market suggest that punters are beginning to consider the Melbourne Cup to be a more wide-open race than previously thought.
The barrier draw for the $8.4 million 3200m Group 1 event has further added to the excitement. Vauban, the favorite, secured barrier three, flanked by last year’s champion, Gold Trip, in barrier two, and Soulcombe in barrier four. However, Without A Fight drew the short straw, landing in barrier 16.
Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who recently arrived in Melbourne, expressed his confidence in Vauban’s chances, dubbing him his “strongest chance ever” to claim the Melbourne Cup.
Mullins, who previously achieved two second-place finishes in the race with Max Dynamite, thinks his current contender is better than anything he has sent to Flemington in the past.
“I think he’s (Vauban) as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we’ll find that out on Tuesday,” he said.
Mullins also hinted at the potential of Absurde, praising the horse’s quarantine preparation and condition.