'He's just going so well at the moment' - connections on their Melbourne Cup contenders

The Lexus Melbourne Cup (4am) takes centre stage at Flemington on Tuesday morning. Here's what the trainers have to say about their big-race contenders . . .

What they say

Ciaron Maher, joint-trainer of Gold Trip, Right You Are, Ashrun, Future History and Interpretation
Gold Trip has got more weight, the race is probably better this year and it's going to be top of the ground, so he needs to be going better. I think he's still our best hope because he's just going so well at the moment. Ashrun will run two miles and his gate looks suitable. Future History has no weight and had a perfect prep. Right You Are's Caulfield Cup run was super. Will he run two miles? I don't know, but his last run was his best. Interpretation is drawn a bit wide but comes out of the Bendigo Cup, which High Emocean came through to run third last year.

Sam Freedman, joint-trainer of Without A Fight
He's had a few days out in the paddock, feeling very fresh. History says it's hard to do the double but I wouldn’t want to take another horse into the race.

Tatsuya Yoshioka, trainer of Breakup
He has really tightened up since the last race. He looks better.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Vauban and Absurde
Both horses have been very sound and go on this ground. Everything has gone right. The quarantine has gone right, the draw has gone right and we now just need to break well and get into a position but I'll leave that to the jockeys. Vauban has everything you need. He also surprised me the way he won over a mile and a half at Naas. I didn't think he could win like that over that trip. I don't think we should forget Absurde. He did it very well in the Ebor and is in great shape. I think he will be a different horse to the one who ran against Vauban at Ascot.

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Charlie Duckworth, assistant to Chris Waller, trainer of Soulcombe, Sheraz, Magical Lagoon and More Felons
Soulcombe is the most fancied of our runners and has been prominent in the market since this time last year. We're taking the blinkers off because we need to get him to begin a bit better. If he can save the three lengths he's losing at the start, it will be a total game changer. More Felons' run at Geelong was unbelievable. The faster they go, the better it will be for him. Magical Lagoon is an Irish Oaks winner and her run at Geelong was fantastic. She does want to over-race a fraction, so we're putting a cross noseband on her. I think Sheraz is crazy odds. He has raced four times over 3,000 metres or beyond and the worst he has finished is second.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Okita Soushi
He has prepared very well. Obviously we would have liked to have had a better draw than 20 but it is what it is.

Michael Kent Jnr, joint-trainer of Lastotchka
Our filly is going great, she has a turn of foot and only carries 51 kilos. People say to me she wants soft ground but she has only had a couple of goes on a faster surface and finished a great third to Simca Mille. I think she has a top five chance.

Gai Waterhouse, joint-trainer of Military Mission and Serpentine
I think Military Mission is the dark horse. He can race off the speed and has a lovely turn of foot. Serpentine is a little one-paced but he's training exceptionally well.

Read these next:

2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Everyone seems to think he will win - now Vauban must prove them right in Melbourne Cup 

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