Warren Gatland has backed Andy Farrell to be the next British and Irish Lions head coach after ruling himself out of the running for the 2025 tour of Australia.
New Zealander Gatland, who late last year returned for a second spell as Wales boss, has overseen the last three Lions tours.
Farrell was on Sunday named World Rugby coach of the year after leading Ireland to a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam amid a 17-match winning run.
“A few weeks ago, I was asked by Nigel Walker, Wales’ director of rugby, if I was interested in putting my name forward to be head coach for the next tour in Australia in 2025,” Gatland wrote in his column for the Telegraph.
“It did not take long to get back to him.
“I told him I was not going to put my name forward. I told Nigel that I would have no problem if any of my support staff were to be asked to be involved as I would see it as a great experience for them.
“But I think it is the opportunity now for someone else to be head coach and Andy Farrell would have my backing for the job.
“You cannot deny what Ireland have achieved as a nation over the last few years. There is no doubt that Andy has done a fantastic job.”
Gatland led the Lions to a 2-1 win in Australia in 2013, a drawn series in New Zealand in 2017 and a 2-1 defeat in South Africa in 2021.
Farrell was part of the 60-year-old’s coaching staff for the first two of those three tours.
The 48-year-old Englishman’s stock has risen significantly over the past couple of years, albeit Ireland suffered a quarter-final exit at the Rugby World Cup in France following a 28-24 defeat to runners-up New Zealand.
Gatland, who also assisted Sir Ian McGeechan on the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa, offered to support his successor in an advisory capacity.
“If the next head coach wants to tap into my experiences from the last four tours, then I would still love to be involved in some way by passing on the knowledge and experience I have gained in trying to create harmony within a group of players from different backgrounds,” he continued.
“For the Lions, it is the least I can do.”
Jan Vertonghen does not believe there will be two players who dominate the Ballon d'Or during the next decade in the way Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done.
Messi scooped his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or on Monday in Paris.
The 36-year-old led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year, and also enjoyed a fine individual season with Paris Saint-Germain.
This Ballon d'Or will almost certainly be Messi's last. Since 2008, he or Ronaldo have won every edition of the award bar two, with Luka Modric taking it in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022.
Messi finished ahead of Erling Haaland – who scored 52 goals in his first season at Manchester City – and his former club-mate Kylian Mbappe, who played a direct part in 50 goals in all competitions for PSG and was the World Cup's leading scorer.
While Haaland and Mbappe have been tipped to fight it out for the award over the next decade, former Tottenham and Ajax defender Vertonghen thinks the days of two players dominating are over.
"I don't think it's going to be two guys dominating for the next 15 years," Vertonghen, an Athlete Partner for APEX, told Stats Perform.
"There are a lot of massive talents. Obviously, you've got Haaland and Mbappe already there for a couple of years, but then if you look at [Jude] Bellingham, what he's doing now, [Jamal] Musiala, I love him, Phil Foden, Vinicius [Junior].
"Those are the young guys. I hope one day a defender or even a goalkeeper [can win]. Thibaut Courtois was very close the year [Real Madrid] won the Champions League.
"I'm probably forgetting 10 or 15 more names. With Belgium, we have a great couple of young guys. There's so many, and I hope one day it could go to a Belgian one."
Bellingham enjoyed a strong season with Borussia Dortmund, though has taken his play up to an elite level since his move to Real Madrid.
The England midfielder finished 18th in the overall voting, with Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala coming in 26th, 20 places behind Vinicius.
Kevin De Bruyne came fourth in the vote, and Vertonghen enthused over his compatriot's quality.
"Kevin, his passing ability is the one that stands out - you know that he is known for his assists and his vision, but he understands the game so well," he said.
"He knows how to use the space, where to run, he is very, very good in pressing which is something you don't really think of when you think of him, you think of assists, vision, scoring goals, but the way he is able to understand how a team builds up, he's just a genius of the pitch.
"Whenever I played against him with Tottenham, we would always try to build up on the other side because he's the one that will get the team going."
England wing Jonny May has announced his retirement from Test rugby.
The 33-year-old Gloucester player made his debut against Argentina in 2013 and scored 36 tries in 78 international appearances.
He sits second behind Rory Underwood (49) on his country’s list of all-time leading try scorers.
May’s final Test outing came in England’s 16-15 Rugby World Cup semi-final loss to eventual winners South Africa on October 21.
“Words can’t describe the journey that I’ve been on so I won’t try to put it into words,” he said in a statement on englandrugby.com.
“At this point in time all I want to say from the bottom of my heart is a huge thank you to everybody who has been a part of this journey with me.
“It’s an honour and a dream to represent my country and although I won’t be out there on the pitch anymore physically, I will always feel connected to this team in spirit.”
Ahoy Senor and Dashel Drasher appear unlikely to clash at Wetherby on Saturday, with the former being readied for the Charlie Hall Chase and the latter instead set to run over hurdles on the undercard.
Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor disappointed as a hot favourite for last year’s Charlie Hall, trailing home last of five runners behind Bravemansgame.
The eight-year-old did, though, show his true colours in the second half of the season – winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January before rounding off his campaign with a runner-up finish behind Shishkin in the Aintree Bowl.
Ahoy Senor is entered in both the bet365 Charlie Hall and the bet365 Hurdle in West Yorkshire this weekend, but Russell’s partner and assistant Peter Scudamore said on Tuesday morning: “I’m almost certain that Ahoy Senor will go for the chase.
“He seems OK, we’re happy enough with him.”
Ahoy Senor could again clash with Bravemansgame in Wetherby’s feature event, although the latter’s trainer Paul Nicholls will not make a final decision on his participation until later in the week.
Dashel Drasher also holds a Charlie Hall engagement, but his trainer Jeremy Scott is leaning towards running over the smaller obstacles at this stage.
He said: “On the face of it, the hurdle looks an easier race, but we’ll see which way Ahoy Senor goes and if Bravemansgame runs at Haydock (Betfair Chase) instead.
“We’ve just been discussing it; are we better over fences or over hurdles? It’s an interesting question really.
“I think we’ll bide our time and see what everybody else is doing and try to work it out, but I think in principle the most likely race, I would imagine, would be the hurdle.”
Eddie Howe denied Newcastle are on a revenge mission against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup as the Magpies boss weighs up his diminishing options for the fourth-round clash.
Newcastle’s long wait for a first domestic trophy since 1955 was extended by Erik ten Hag’s United, who claimed a 2-0 victory in last season’s final between the teams at Wembley in February.
United have been in patchy form this season and come into Tuesday’s encounter at Old Trafford reeling from being outclassed in the Manchester derby at the weekend as City walked away with a 3-0 win.
But Howe anticipates Premier League form can be parked to one side for now, with both sides set to ring the changes, and he was adamant vengeance for eight months ago is not a motivation ahead of the trip.
Howe said: “That’s not our emotion as I sit here now. Our emotion is just to try to prepare and win the game. One win and we’re into the quarter-final of the competition. We loved our run in it last year.
“Manchester United are a top team with top players. One of the key tests of any team is how you respond to setbacks. That’s always what you’re looking to do when you’re in the manager’s position.
“They’ve got some very good results lately and have won some games late. Whenever you play Manchester City, as we know they’re very, very difficult games.
“When you go into a cup tie, to a degree you leave that form behind. This is a one-off game and I’m sure both teams will be motivated to try and win.”
Injuries to several first-team players – including Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy – have been exacerbated by Sandro Tonali being handed a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules.
Joe Willock has made a couple of substitute appearances since a long injury lay-off and Callum Wilson and Joelinton have shrugged off issues of their own, but Howe is wary of overburdening some players.
Howe admitted he is uncharted territory as the Champions League has increased Newcastle’s workload – they play Borussia Dortmund next week after welcoming Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
He said: “You just have to roll with the punches, absorb the hits and that’s what we’re going to try to do. It’s not ideal for us, especially with the season to last year – it’s a totally different feel.
“We’re not in that position now so we’re going to need everybody in the squad to step up. The key message is everyone has to give a bit more. To not use our squad (on Tuesday) would be really foolish.
“(Last season) whet the appetite for us, we want this on a more regular basis, we’re determined to get back there. That’s the challenge for us – can we? Tomorrow will dictate what we do in this competition.
“It’s going to be a bit of a juggling act for us, but we do have the players that can be flexible and can play different positions. It’s one of the strengths of our squad.”
Anthony Gordon could be up front in place of Wilson while Lewis Hall may start, having struggled for minutes since moving to Tyneside, initially on loan with an obligation to buy, from Chelsea.
Howe added: “He has a big role. He’s a talented player, he can play various positions for us which in our current position we’re going to need. The best is yet to come, without a doubt.
“He’s been training well and adapting to quite a big change in his life so for such a young player to move from London and settle in here, I think he’s done it well.”
Jamaica and Domincan Republic added medals to their tally on day three of athletics action at the Pan American (Pan Am) Games in Santiago, Chile on Monday.
For Jamaica, discus throwers Samantha Hall and Fedrick Dacres, both claimed bronze in their respective events, while Dominican Republic proved too good for rivals in the 4x400m mixed relay.
Hall, who competed at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary, claimed her first medal at the senior level, with a throw of 59.14m. She placed behind the Brazilian pair of Izabela Rodrigues, who won gold with a throw of 59.63m, and Andressa Oliveira (59.29m).
Another Jamaican Adrienne Adams was eighth in the event with a best mark of 55.55m.
On the men’s side, Dacres secured Jamaica's third bronze when he launched the instrument to a mark of 61.25m. Chile’s Lucas Nervi (63.39m), and Colombia’s Mauricio Alexander Ortega (61.86m), were first and second. Kai Chang, the other Jamaican in the event, was sixth at 59.96m.
Domincan Republic added a sixth gold medal to go with their four silver and 10 bronze, with victory in the 4X400m Mixed relay final. Their quartet, which included World Champion Marileidy Paulino, won in 3:16.05, ahead of Brazil (3:18.55) and United States (3:19.41).
Elsewhere on the track, Liranyi Arislayne Alonso of Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago's Reyare Mary Thomas, clocked identical times of 11.69s for second and third in semi-final one of the women’s 100m. Both, along with winner Cecilia Tamayo (11.66s) of Mexico, secured a spot in the final.
Guyana’s Keliza Smith (11.78s) and Jamaica’s Mickaell Moodie (11.86s), who also contested that semi-final, were sixth and seventh respectively.
Jasmine Abrams of Guyana won semi-final two in 11.60s, with Brazil’s Ana De Jesus (11.64s) and Cuba’s Yarima Garcia (11.65s), in second and third respectively.
On the men's side, Guyana’s Emanuel Archibald (10.35s) and Odaine McPherson (10.37s), produced contrasting performances in semi-final one, but did enough to secure their respective spots in the final. Archibald was third and McPherson, who advanced to the final as a non-automatic qualifier, was fourth.
They joined Jose Alnardo Gonzales (10.30s) of Dominican Republic, who won ahead of Brazil's Felipe Bardi (10.33s). Hakeem Huggins of St Kitts and Nevis was seventh in 10.54s.
Jamaica's Jevaughn Whyte and Samson Colebrooke of the Bahamas were fourth and seventh in semi-final two, clocking 10.52s and 10.62s, respectively, as both failed to make the final cut.
Cuba’s Shainer Rengifo was the lone Caribbean athlete to progress from semi-final three, which he won in 10.36s.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams secured her spot in the women’s 400m final after she place second in semi-final one in 51.82s. Chile’s Martina Weil won the event in 51.47s, with Ecuador’s Nicole Caicedo (52.32s) third.
Haddex Des Obeaux has either a Cheltenham return for the Shloer Chase or the Tingle Creek on his agenda following his last-gasp fall at Prestbury Park on Saturday.
Trainer Gary Moore has a strong hand in the two-mile chasing division and is aiming high with the Ollie Harris-owned six-year-old who was on a real upwards curve before a setback last season and appeared set to resume his progress on his racecourse return until his agonising final-fence departure.
He is reported to be none the worse for that tired fall in his first outing for 287 days and his handler has highlighted another outing over the undulations of Prestbury Park in the Shloer Chase on November 19 or a first crack at a Grade One at Sandown in early December as his possible options.
“He seems fine,” said Moore. “He was running a nice race, it was just a bit of a tired fall in his first run for a long time. He was jumping pretty good up until then.
“It will either be the Shloer next or he will go straight for the Tingle Creek.”
Haddex Des Obeaux and eventual winner Dancing On My Own were matching strides heading to the final fence of the Epic Value At William Hill Handicap Chase, but Moore is unsure what would have happened if his young chaser had stayed on his feet.
“I wouldn’t like to say, but what I would say is Racheal Blackmore went for her horse a lot earlier than Jamie (Moore, jockey) has gone for him,” continued Moore.
“But the way Henry De Bromhead’s horses are running at the minute, he would probably have beaten Haddex Des Obeaux anyway.”
Haddex Des Obeaux and stablemate Editeur Du Gite are both by the same sire in Saddex and the latter, who won last season’s Clarence House Chase, will return at Exeter on November 10 before attentions turn to further big-race assignments over two miles.
“He’s fine and, all being well, he goes to Exeter for the Haldon Gold Cup,” added Moore.
“He could run in the Shloer as well. Probably the Shloer and Game Spirit.”
Meanwhile, the Lower Beeding handler is poised to send exciting duo Authorised Speed and Givega novice chasing this term, with both almost ready for a first outing over the larger obstacles.
“They are both going novice chasing,” said Moore.
“They are nearing a run, Authorised Speed will probably be a week behind Givega, but Givega is ready to go. He was nearly entered at Ascot (on Saturday) but we will save him for the next Ascot.
“I’m thinking two and a half miles, Authorised maybe two, but Givega definitely two and a half miles.”
Paulo Bernardo believes he can follow in the footsteps of friend Jota and create his own history at Celtic.
The on-loan Benfica midfielder made his first start for the club in Saturday’s goalless draw against Hibernian after playing the bulk of the midweek Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid following an early hamstring injury to Reo Hatate.
With the Japan midfielder likely to missing for the next two months, Bernardo has a chance to make his mark.
The 21-year-old watched on as Jota became a Celtic fans’ favourite, firstly on loan from Benfica and then after making a permanent deal to Glasgow before sealing a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s cinch Premiership encounter with St Mirren, the Portugal Under-21 international said: “I am working hard to make my impact. Jota made his impact and I want to make my impact.
“We are friends, I speak to him a lot, but now I have to make my own history and hopefully it’s good like him.
“He told me Glasgow was good and that Celtic is a really big club like we are used to in Benfica. He told me that it’s not too different. The big difference is the weather. But I am really enjoying Glasgow like Jota said I would.”
With Celtic facing 14 games before the end of 2023, Bernardo is confident he can make his mark.
“I have to feel it because we are professional players and it’s our job to make an impact,” he said.
“It was really good to make my first start at this big club. The game was not so good but we have a game on Wednesday and we will get better.
“It was a little hard to start these sequence of games, but I will respond well.
“You can work hard in training and this gave me an opportunity to play, but game time is the most important time for a player.
“When we play one game, we improve a lot more than one or two training sessions.
“I am feeling confident. I like the way the coach thinks and plays the game, and I feel comfortable with the tactics.”
Bernardo is enjoying the relentless nature of Scottish football.
“It’s a bit different to Portugal, but I really like it here and Celtic really support me,” he said. “The players have welcomed me and the staff support me really well.
“The game here is more intense. The game never stops.
“In Portugal, we lose a little bit of the time of the game because players go down on the floor and the referee stops the game. It’s a little bit boring compared to here. That’s the biggest difference.”
Jaylen Brown was bullish about the Boston Celtics' quality after their convincing win over the Washington Wizards.
Brown had 36 points and Jayson Tatum added 33 as the Celtics cruised to a 126-107 win on Monday.
It brought up Boston's third straight win to start the season.
Not that Brown is at all surprised, given the quality the Celtics possess.
"We've got a lot of talent. We're going to be more talented than a lot of teams. We just try to take advantage of all of our opportunities," he said.
"It's nights like tonight where it's easy to take your foot off the gas, but if you want to do what you say you want to do, we've got to come out and play the game the right way."
With the Celtics leading by 37 midway through the third quarter, coach Joe Mazzulla was able to rest his star players for the final stretch.
And making fast starts is crucial to Boston's gameplan.
"We think it's something we can control, the way we come out and start games," Mazzulla said.
"We just have too many good players and we have a chance. We're really trying to make sure we come out with the right mindset the whole game.
"It doesn't mean it's going to go our way. I really liked our approach."
Kristaps Porzingis, who set a franchise record with his 30 points on debut last week, enjoyed a winning return to Washington, having switched to the Celtics in June.
"This was home for a year-and-a-half," said the Latvian, who finished with 15 points against his former team. "So definitely some good, good memories here."
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova became the latest leading name to criticise the WTA after losing her opening match to Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said after her first match on Sunday in Mexico that she felt “disrespected” over the condition of the hastily-laid temporary court in Cancun.
Following a 7-6 (3) 6-0 defeat by second seed Swiatek, Vondrousova wrote on Instagram: “My first WTA Finals is not at all what I imagined. We work hard all year to get to the finals and in the end it’s just a disappointment.
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“(The) stadium is not at all ready for the matches and to me it feels like the people from WTA are absolutely not interested in how we who are supposed to play on that court feel. We do not feel that anyone listens to us and is interested in our opinions. Very sad.”
Swiatek added to the criticism, saying in her on-court interview that the surface was “not comfortable” while she also appealed for more fans to attend the matches.
For the third year in a row, the host of the prestigious tournament – which features the top eight players of the season – was only decided less than two months prior to the event.
Vondrousova led Swiatek 5-2 in the opening set but the Pole, who could reclaim top spot in the rankings from Sabalenka this week, won four games in a row and dominated the second set.
Monday’s other match saw US Open champion Coco Gauff need less than an hour to beat Ons Jabeur 6-0 6-1 for her first WTA Finals victory.
On her debut last year the teenager lost all six matches she played in singles and doubles, while she and Jessica Pegula were again beaten in doubles on Sunday.
But Gauff was emphatic from the start against Wimbledon finalist Jabeur, winning the first seven games before an hour-long rain delay.
Jabeur finally got on the board after the restart before the American, who revealed she is no longer working with coach Pere Riba, completed the win in 57 minutes.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t my decision,” Gauff said of the split from the Spaniard. “But we had to end the partnership. If it was up to me, I would have loved to have him here.
“But things happen. Life happens. So no bad terms on our end. I still think that he was a great guy. And obviously he did amazing things for me personally and also for my game.”
Gauff is still working with renowned American coach Brad Gilbert, who guided her to the title in New York alongside Riba.
Mikel Arteta believes Declan Rice’s potential return to West Ham will be “beautiful” – if the Arsenal manager decides to play the midfielder in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash.
The 24-year-old England international moved across London in the summer, the Gunners paying a club-record £105million to prise him away from the Hammers.
Rice, who captained West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in the last of his 245 games for the club he joined at the age of 14, could be in line for his first return to east London having shone in the opening months of his fledgling Arsenal career.
“It will be his first time back at his old club and a beautiful moment for him, I think,” Arteta said on the eve of the fourth-round tie.
“I think it is beautiful. I had a chance to do it a few times and then you really see what they think of you and what you left at the club.”
Arteta feels Rice will receive a warm welcome from the West Ham fans, adding: “Every time you hear him talk about West Ham and what they did for him and everybody at the club, he cannot talk any higher of them, so hopefully they will be the same way towards him.”
While Arteta suggested it was “likely” Rice would be involved in the game in some way, he was rested entirely for the 1-0 win at Brentford in the previous round.
The Spaniard made a total of eight changes for the victory in west London but insists the Carabao Cup – which he won twice as a coach at Manchester City – is still a major honour.
“It’s a competition that we have the chance to progress and win a trophy and our mindset has to be focused on West Ham,” he said.
“I live it exactly the same as the Premier League (on Wednesday). I have the same thing in my tummy and the certain thing and same way to prepare and I’m going to be there, closer to the game, and I just want to win the game for sure.
“Even if you are doing rotations, I think the role of the players that are now committed to challenge for this trophy or for this game, I think it’s critical for them to show what they can do.”
Gabriel Jesus will not feature despite Arteta revealing the striker is “already pushing” to return from a hamstring injury suffered in a Champions League win at Sevilla last week.
Captain Martin Odegaard is again likely to be rested as he recovers from a hip complaint, while Arteta admitted to “concerns” over Thomas Partey’s most recent setback.
The Ghana midfielder missed just seven games in five years at Atletico Madrid but has been plagued with issues since joining Arsenal in 2020 – sitting out 53 fixtures for club and country in that time.
“I think that he will be out for weeks,” Arteta said of Partey’s latest injury.
“It is a big concern because, when Thomas is fit and available and he’s been part of the team, we have seen what the results and the impact that he has on the team.
“This season we have more protection, especially for that reason as well because we know in the past two seasons what has happened and the impact that it had on the team, so we had to address that.”
The Philadelphia 76ers are sending wantaway James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to reports.
Harden has been in a dispute with the 76ers, and missed their opening game of the season – a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks – and their second fixture, a win over the Toronto Raptors.
The 10-time All-Star and returned to the roster for the win over the Portland Trail Blazers, watching on from the bench as Joel Embiid led Philadelphia to victory.
Now, the dispute between the 34-year-old and the 76ers will come to an end, with Harden heading to the Clippers.
Philadelphia have elected to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles. In return, they will receive Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a first-round pick that can be routed from a third team.
The NBA opened an investigation into whether Harden's absence from the 76ers' season opener was a violation of the league's player participation policy.
ESPN reported that Harden is delighted to be joining the Clippers, where he will team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. There will also be a reunion with Russell Westbrook, who Harden played alongside for the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Harden joined the 76ers in 2022, after a frustrating stint with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 2018 NBA MVP averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game last season.
Colombian police are searching a mountain range in the north of the country for the kidnapped father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz.
Diaz’s mother has been rescued but the Colombian authorities have stepped up the search for his father, with the player having returned home to be with family members.
Police have been carrying out aerial patrols across the Perija mountain range, which straddles the border with Venezuela and is covered by a forest.
In a post on social media, Colombian police director general William Salamanca was shown visiting the operation in order to “recognise our commandos for their bravery and commitment to rescue him safe and sound”.
Police have offered a reward worth around £39,000 for information leading to the rescue of Luis Manuel Diaz.
On Monday Salamanca urged caution with regards to reports that Luis Manuel might already have been taken into Venezuela, pointing to the difficulty of crossing the Perija mountains.
Both FIFA and the Colombia Football Federation have offered support to Diaz, 26, while Liverpool allowed the player to return home.
Speaking after Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said preparation for the game had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”.
Klopp added: “I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it. I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help.
“So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.”
Liverpool said in a statement: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia.
“It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”
Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons.
Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban posted an impressive workout as he enjoyed a first look at Flemington.
Willie Mullins’ charge heads the market for next Tuesday’s feature after recording a seven-and-a-half-length win in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June before booking his ticket to Australia with a cosy victory in the Ballyroan Stakes in August.
A three-times Grade One winner over hurdles, Vauban worked in company with stablemate and fellow Cup contender Absurde at Flemington, pulling away from the Ebor victor in comfortable fashion.
Mullins’ assistant David Casey has been overseeing the pair’s preparations for the Group One handicap and he is more than satisfied with Vauban heading into the two-mile race.
“Everything seems good, we’re having a ball,” Casey told www.racing.com.
“The horse has been very relaxed, taken it all in, done everything we’ve asked, great to get a morning like this morning to come to Flemington and see something different.
“It’s all just a good experience for him for race day.”
Vauban is a best-priced 3-1 with bet365, with Absurde a general 14-1 chance for the Melbourne Cup.
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