Just one outing in the saddle for Kerrin Mcevoy is enough for the three-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop to gain a good impression of Absurde towards the gelding’s second attempt at snaring Australia’s most famous race next Tuesday.
McEvoy’s trip to Werribee was the only time he will ride the Willie Mullins-trained galloper before the Group 1 3200-metre feature with the aim of bettering the seventh placing – five lengths from winner Without A Fight – achieved in 2023.
“He was nice and bright,” McEvoy said after Tuesday morning trackwork.
“He’s been with Willie an extra 12 months now and they (the stable) are giving me a really good push for the horse.”
Absurde is rated a $13 chance for the Melbourne Cup after the announcement that the Aidan O’Brien-trained Group 1 St Leger (2916m) winner Jan Brueghel will not be a starter in the race after not passing veterinary inspections.
“He ran a good race in the Cup last year and he was hitting the front turning into the straight and stayed on to be beaten not too far,” McEvoy added.
“He’s the type of horse that if you can get switched off and relaxed, he’s got a nice finish and can stay the distance.
“Given barrier draws, we can adopt different tactics this year which might see him run a better race again.”
A warning was placed on Absurde’s racing record after last year’s event when the horse was reluctant to head to the barriers before the start despite the urgings of Zac Purton who rode him that day.
“I think last year they got him down to the 1200-metre start and then couldn’t get him back to the gates (200 metres down the track),” McEvoy said.
“This year we’ll hopefully get to the gates without turning a hair and get the handler to grab him straightaway so he doesn’t get too far from them.
“Everyone is aware that he can be a bit tricky but Dave (Casey, travelling foreman) is happy and it seems that he has grown up mentally.”
Should Irishman Willie Mullins be able to achieve his long-held ambition to win the $8.5 million feature, it would give McEvoy his fourth win in the race after Brew in 2000, Almandin in 2016 and aboard Cross Counter in 2018.
Absurde was a last start winner of the Listed Chester Stakes (2916m) in England on August 31.
