Ante-post liabilities build on hot Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban with connections wishing 'the race was tomorrow'

David Casey would love the Lexus Melbourne Cup to be tomorrow, such is the wellbeing of hot favourite Vauban, who is already reported to be a six-figure loser in Paddy Power's ante-post book.

Willie Mullins' assistant has been with Vauban every step of the way since leaving Closutton a few weeks ago and he was on board the five-year-old for a racecourse workout at Flemington on Tuesday when he breezed up the straight a few lengths clear of stablemate Absurde.

Mullins has trained the second, third and fourth before, but in the 2022 Triumph Hurdle winner he looks to have his best chance yet of winning a race he described last week as the "biggest in the world that we can win".