Vanbrugh has reignited Chris Waller’s Group One hopes for him this spring with a barnstorming victory in the Group Three Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill.
The colt has booked a spot in next month’s Spring Champion Stakes with his 1-3/4 length decision over the consistent Tatoosh on Saturday.
Vanbrugh
Waller had Vanbrugh earmarked for the $1 million Golden Rose until a midwinter defeat on a wet track forced a rethink.
“He went missing a bit at the first part of the preparation, we thought he might have been a Golden Rose horse,” Waller said.
“They were pretty quickly expelled when he got beaten as a short-priced favourite at Canterbury one day.
“We just put it down to wet tracks so now the tracks have improved, fortunately his form has come good.”
Heavily supported to start a $2.80 favourite, Vanbrugh relished the strong tempo set by Clash Of Clans and had the race in the bag halfway up the straight.
Waller will take his campaign one race at a time but hasn’t ruled out a Victoria Derby start during the Melbourne spring carnival.
Tatoosh swept home from back in the field to finish second in a Group race for the third consecutive start and will face a rematch with the winner in the Spring Champion.
“He’s got a big race in him for sure,” said trainer Paul Perry’s son Shannon.
Third placegetter Man Of Choice will also press on to the Spring Champion and trainer Luke Price said the horse would take improvement from the run.
