Vauban looked under siege on the home turn before his superior stamina genes kicked in and he drew clear to win the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The former Irish hurdler might be a rising nine-year-old showed he is still a force to be reckoned with when he responded gamely under pressure to score back-to-back wins in the Sky High Stakes.
“Vauban’s such a remarkable horse, he really is,” said Adrian Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse.
“Australia has really got behind him and so has the ownership group. He’s been a great ride for them. He’s here on the back of a Melbourne Cup campaign and he looks as good as ever.
“I’m really proud of the horse and hopefully he is set for a nice preparation. He gives you such tremendous satisfaction this horse.”
Vauban ($3.40), ridden by Tim Clark, became the first multiple winner of the Sky High Stakes when he scored by length from Soul Of Spain ($3.80) with Just Fine ($10) a length away third.
Wootton Verni was sent out the $2.80 favourite and after having every chance in the run, he faded to finish only fifth.
Clark said Vauban “feels like a spring three-year-old.”
“I just think the last couple of weeks he’s really blossomed, he’s got that spring in his step, he’s shown that in a couple of his bits of his work of late,” Clark said.
“Once I was able to get to the position I got to early in the race I was pretty confident from that point onwards. I thought he let down really well and he’s started his prep off in good style.
“I think that was a better win than this time last year, so hopefully he’s in for another good preparation.”
Bott said Vauban will now be aimed at the Group 1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill in two weeks with a long-term aim of preparing the gelding for a fourth attempt at the Melbourne Cup.
Vauban ran 14th to Without A Fight in the 2023 Melbourne Cup then 11th to Knights Choice the next year when trained by Willie Mullins.
Waterhouse and Bott took over the training of Vauban last year when he finished sixth to Half Yours in the Melbourne Cup.
“I’m not sure about the Sydney Cup this autumn but we will definitely go for the Melbourne Cup again,” Bott said.
“I would like to go through the Tancred like we did last year. Arguably he’s come back better this year and it looks to be a lovely race for him.
“He’s obviously going to be better suited as he gets deeper into the preparation, over a little bit further as well. We might also look at Brisbane, too.”
Clark feels the Tancred Stakes last year might have been the one that got away for Vauban who ran third to Dubai Honour.
“A little bit of unfinished business in a couple of weeks time, in the Tancred,” Clark said.
It just went a little bit wrong last year, it might have been one that got away. So, hopefully in two weeks time we can redeem ourselves.”
