Ben Allen is poised for a long-awaited return to the big stage in the Caulfield Cup—and potentially the Melbourne Cup—after Irish maestro Willie Mullins repaid a long-held favour by booking him for Absurde in Saturday’s Caulfield feature.
Allen’s sole ride for the Irish great came eight years ago when, as a raw apprentice, he was a late substitute aboard Thomas Hobson in the 2017 Melbourne Cup. He finished a brave sixth, leaving a lasting impression on Mullins. Fast forward to 2025 and Mullins has again reached out, handing Allen just his fourth Caulfield Cup ride and his first since 2018.
That Thomas Hobson mount remains Allen’s only start in the Melbourne Cup, while Absurde brings proven staying credentials, having finished seventh and fifth in the past two editions of the great race.
Mullins’ representative Dave Casey told Racing.com on Tuesday that Allen had been locked in for the ride.
“Ben has got the call-up,” Casey confirmed. “He actually rode a winner at Caulfield last weekend (Zou Sensation) so he’s riding well. He rode in the Melbourne Cup for us and I think he was an apprentice at the time.
“He rode Thomas Hobson – he got the call-up after Joao Moreira had a fall. He didn’t do a lot wrong that day, so we are happy to have him.”
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