Irish trainer Willie Mullins is aiming for an elusive first Melbourne Cup victory in Australia's most famous race on Tuesday.

Mullins, the only man to train 100 winners at the Cheltenham Festival in jump racing, has targeted the Flat competition (0400 GMT) as a key event he wants to win.

He hopes last year's favorite Vauban, who finished 14th, can do better this time, while Mullins also leads Absurde, who finished seventh 12 months ago.

Onesmoothoperator represents Brian Ellison while Sea King runs for fellow British trainer Harry Eustace at Flemington Racecourse.

Caulfield Cup runners-up Buckaroo are among Australia's leading hopes in the 'Race to Stop a Nation'. New Zealand-born trainer Chris Waller also saddles Kovalica, Land Legend, Valiant King and Manzoice.

Vauban won the Lonsdale Cup at York before finishing second to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger last time out, while Absurde won the Chester Stakes after winning the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Mullins would love to win a Melbourne Cup.

“It’s probably the biggest flat race in the world that I can win with the horses we buy,” said Mullins, 68, who finished second in 2015 with Max Dynamite.

“That’s why it’s a race we would absolutely win.”