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There are few remaining blanks on Willie Mullins’ CV but the Melbourne Cup is one of them – and he will join a select group of Irish trainers if he scratches his Australian itch this year.

Just as in 2023, Mullins has entered Vauban and Absurde for the Flemington showpiece and is confident of an improved display after both finished down the field 12 months ago.

Both are bidding to make it a quintet of Irish-trained winners of this lucrative race – and there are brilliant stories behind each of the previous four…

Vintage Crop (1993)

Dermot Weld was the trailblazer when it came to showing overseas trainers it was possible to land the Melbourne Cup.

No horse trained outside Australia or New Zealand had entered the race before 1993, when Weld brought Vintage Crop across from Co Kildare for a crack at the big time.

The same horse had been entered the previous year, only for quarantine rules to deny him a shot, but there was no stopping the dual Irish St Leger winner the following November.

The 14-1 shot battled past two outsiders up the home straight with Michael Kinane on board to win seal a remarkable triumph.

“It was a unique experience,” Weld said. “Most people in Australia thought it was impossible, most people in Europe thought it was equally impossible.

“I’ve been fortunate to win in Hong Kong, right across America and Europe, and in Dubai. But to win in Australia was very special.”

Weld said at the time his triumph would ‘internationalise’ the race and so it has proved, with nine winners from 179 overseas runners in the three decades since.

Media Puzzle (2002)

Weld waited nine years for his next crack at the race that stops a nation – and boy, was it worth it.

Most of the attention was on Vinnie Roe, a four-time Irish St Leger winner who ran in three Melbourne Cups, but it was stablemate Media Puzzle who bagged the trainer’s second win in the race.

In front of 102,000 spectators, Weld’s raider surged clear to win by more than three lengths in a show of incredible character from jockey Damien Oliver, whose brother died just four days before the race following a fall during a race in Western Australia.

“My mum and I both thought about it and came to the conclusion that if I was sitting on the couch at home watching the Melbourne Cup, Jason would have been saying ‘You bloody idiot, what are you doing?” he said afterwards.

“I’d give it away right now to have my brother back. But I know it was the right thing to ride. Jason would have wanted that.

“This has made me think of how dangerous this game is but I knew my brother would have wanted me to be here.”

Rekindling (2017)

Joseph O’Brien was just 24 when he entered his first Melbourne Cup as a trainer in what turned out to be an inspired decision.

The 2017 renewal turned into one to remember for the Green Team as three Irish raiders pulled clear in the closing stages.

It was ultimately a battle of the O’Briens and Joseph’s Rekindling edged out father Aidan’s Johannes Vermeer as the master of Ballydoyle was denied a first win in the race in dramatic style.

Willie Mullins’ Max Dynamite took third as Ireland’s trainers flexed their collective muscle on the global stage.

As if to prove the mantra ‘like father, like son’, O’Brien shared the credit for his stunning success.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “His preparation went really well and Corey gave him an unbelievable ride.

“The lads at home and the lads here have done an unbelievable job. All the lads at home, all year round, have done a great job with him.”

Twilight Payment (2020)

History repeated itself three years later with another O’Brien one-two – in the same order.

The 2020 race played out in an eerily quiet Flemington, with no crowds permitted amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

But that did little to dampen the buzz for Joseph O’Brien as seven-year-old Twilight Payment became the oldest winner of the race since 1938.

This time it was Tiger Moth beaten into second place for Aidan, with his son’s star leading from gun to tape – the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup in such a fashion for 23 years – to land a surprise victory having gone off at 25-1.

Jockey Jye McNeil was in dreamland following a winner in his first ride in the race while O’Brien was forced to watch on from Ireland due to the strict rules around travel.

“Obviously it’s quite different and not what we would have liked and we would loved to have been there, but incredibly special,” he said.

“Whatever happens on the track stays there. Dad is delighted for me when I have a winner and I’m as delighted for him as when he wins a big race.

“It’s very special to be able to compete in these big races and this year in particular, there was a time when we weren’t sure if we would be able to have runners in Australia this year. So a very special thing we were able to compete in the race.”