05 October 2023 , 09:15
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Willie Mullins has swapped one superstar jockey for another in his quest to lift the Lexus Melbourne Cup for the first time.
Absurde earned a golden ticket into the field for the £7 million race when he landed the Sky Bet Ebor at York under Frankie Dettori in August. But Mullins was left having to find a replacement for the Italian on Absurde for the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington on November 7.
The five-year-old has been set a weight of 8st 5lb in the handicap, which ruled out Dettori. Instead the 17-time champion jumps trainer of Ireland who holds the record for most wins at the Cheltenham Festival has booked Zac Purton, the six-time champion jockey in Hong Kong.
Purton rode Max Dynamite to finish third for Mullins in 2017 and was keen to make himself available to Mullins again. Ryan Moore is set to partner Absurde’s stablemate Vauban who is the 3-1 favourite.
Purton said: “The weight won’t be a problem. He’s an exciting ride to pick up and he’s trained by a genius.
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Zac Purton: Hong Kong champion will ride Absurde (Getty Images)“I have a lot of faith in Willie as a trainer and think the horse is ‘well in’ in the race.”
Purton, 40, has recorded Group 1 wins in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Britain and Singapore but has yet to strike in Australia’s second richest race, finishing third and fourth.
He said previously: “I’ve not had many rides in the Melbourne Cup but it’s a race I’d like to win if I can. I am running out of time and opportunities, but the dream is always there.