Willie Mullins is champion jumps trainer in both Ireland and Great Britain, but his achievements and ambitions extend beyond winning jump racing’s biggest prizes.

Mullins has already won some of Britain’s top long-distance flat races and he hopes to add the historic Group One Gold Cup (3,991m) to his collection at Royal Ascot on Thursday.

At Royal Ascot, Mullins has won both the Ascot Stakes and the Queen Alexandra Stakes four times. In 2012, Simenon won both races. The following year, Simenon was beaten a neck in the Gold Cup.

That left a gap that Mullins hopes to fill with Vauban.

“For a stable like ours, which is predominantly jumps, it would be absolutely huge to win the Ascot Gold Cup. We came within a whisker of winning it in 2013 and I think Vauban can give a good account of himself,” said the trainer.

A year ago, Vauban ran away with the Copper Horse Handicap (2,831m) and, having disappointed in the Group One Melbourne Cup (3,200m), finished second in the Group Two Yorkshire Cup (2,771m) at York.

“I was delighted with that reappearance run. He hadn’t run in a long time and I knew he would come on for it. I don’t mind what the weather does as he seems to go on any ground,” Mullins said.

It won’t be easy, with Willie admitting that Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios, the winner two years ago, will be very hard to beat.

O’Brien knows what is required, having won the Gold Cup a record eight times, and he gave a positive report on Kyprios.

“His first two runs this year were lovely. He’s very perky and everything looks good,” O’Brien said.

Also among the field is John and Thady Gosden-trained trio Gregory, Trawlerman and Sweet William. The father and son team won last year with Courage Mon Ami while Gosden Snr also won three times with Stradivarius.

He recently described Gregory as “probably the classiest” of the three, with Trawlerman “not to be underestimated and in the form of his life,” and Sweet William “a very talented horse. He’ll be there at the end”.

The Gold Cup is one of seven races to be offered for betting by the Jockey Club on Thursday, with the action kicking off at 9.30pm Hong Kong time.