Trainer Willie Mullins is eyeing an ambitious tilt at the Melbourne Cup with a horse who claimed an unlikely victory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Poniros became the longest-priced winner ever of the Triumph Hurdle at odds of 101.00 when powering past his rivals on the run-in to edge home by a neck.
The horse won a Nottingham maiden for trainer Ralph Beckett in October 2023, before running well in several handicaps as a three-year-old.
His second-place finish in the London Gold Cup Handicap in May last year was particularly noteworthy given that the race often produces Group-level performers.
Poniros finished down the field when made for the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket in September, and was subsequently sold for 200,000gns the following month.
Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom splashed the cash on that occasion to add to the list of big-money purchases he has in the Mullins stable.
Poniros defied the odds under jockey Jonjo O’Neill Jr on his hurdling debut at Cheltenham to leave Mullins dreaming about a return visit to Australia.
He has previously made several unsuccessful attempts to win ‘the race that stops the nation’ and is eyeing another crack with Poniros later this year.
“He’s by Golden Horn, who I think is going to make a very good sire over jumps,” Mullins said. “He’s the sort of horse you’re looking for. I didn’t expect that.
“Did Tony Bloom back him? If he did, it wasn’t on my advice! We were hoping he would run well and be a nice horse for next year, so he’s ahead of schedule.
“We bought him in October, schooled him and gave him a break. We said we’d better drag him in from the field and get him ready for Cheltenham, and that’s what we did.
“But I didn’t expect any more than a nice run. We had a lot of horses in the race and they all came here with the same plan. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him flying through the middle of them. I just couldn’t believe it.
“You must remember that he came from the flat, so he had race experience – that’s a huge advantage. We’ve done plenty of jumping at home with him.
“I imagine he’ll go to Punchestown, and then we’ll find something at Royal Ascot, perhaps. He was bought as a dual-purpose horse, and I am hoping in time he might turn into a Melbourne Cup horse – that would be the long-term plan.”
The Australian betting industry will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on Mullins’ potential Melbourne Cup runners over the next few months.
Mullins has made no secret about his eagerness to win the Flemington Racecourse showpiece and Australian betting sites generally treat his entries with respect.
He came close to breaking his duck when Max Dynamite ran second behind Prince Of Penzance in 2015 and third to Rekindling two years later.
Mullins ran Vauban and Absurde in the race in each of the last two years, but neither horse was able to get their nose in front where it matters.
Intriguingly, Vauban could be a big threat to Mullins’ hopes of winning the Melbourne Cup after impressing on his first run for new connections on Saturday.
He produced a sustained run under jockey Tim Clark to win the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill, which was a hugely impressive performance given it came over an inadequate 1m2f.
Vauban was making a winning debut for Australian Bloodstock following his A$2 million sale shortly after the Melbourne Cup last November.
Adrian Bott, who trains Vauban alongside Gai Waterhouse, said a lot of time had been spent on getting the horse more settled to Australian conditions.
“That was part of the reason in bringing him to so many racecourse gallops, exposures and trials,” Bott said.
“He wouldn’t have run over those shorter races in his career. It’s not until you can see them under raceday pressure in these race conditions that you get a true guide. I was really impressed by that today.”
Vauban will now be aimed at the Tancred Stakes and Sydney Cup as he continues his build up to the Melbourne Cup in November.