Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban and stablemate Absurde have had a gallop at Flemington in preparation for the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The Willie Mullins-trained pair were brought from the Werribee International Horse Centre for Breakfast With The Stars on Tuesday morning.
It was the first time the general public got a look at the pair with Vauban leading out from Absurde.
David Casey, travelling foreman for Mullins, said in an ideal world Vauban would sit off his stablemate in work, but Absurde is a little more freegoing.
"I go in front, just to keep a lid on him (Absurde). Ideally, we would like it the other way around, but we're worried he might do a bit too much in front," Casey said.
Casey said bringing the pair to Flemington ahead of the Melbourne Cup was an important part of the build-up, just as it had been for Max Dynamite who ran second to Prince Of Penzance in the 2015 Cup.
It was a change of routine for the pair to get away from Werribee where they have been working since their arrival at the start of the month.
Casey has kept the work up to Vauban after the stayer put on weight quickly after his arrival.
"It's been a job keeping the weight off him, because he put it on so quickly," Casey said.
"Max the first year lost a good bit of weight and we had to give him a couple of extra days when he first came out, but this guy, it didn't worry him."
