Ex Mullins-Trained Cheltenham Hero To Make Debut For Waterhouse And Bott

[Wandering Eyes]

High-class dual-purpose performer Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), who landed the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 for trainer Willie Mullins, is close to making his debut for Australian trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. 

Vauban has been well-held in his two attempts at winning the Melbourne Cup for Mullins and owner Rich Ricci. The seven-year-old was snapped up by the Waterhouse and Bott combination for a reported $2 million after he finished 11th–beaten just over five lengths–behind Knight's Choice (Aus) (Extreme Choice {Aus}) in the Melbourne Cup in November.

He is set to make his debut for his new connections in the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday–but co-trainer Bott warns that there will be improvement to come from the effort.

Speaking ahead of the assignment, Bott told racing.com, “We've been really pleased with everything we've seen from him at home in his work, the way he has conducted himself in his trials. He's had a couple of looks at the racetrack on race day already through an exhibition gallop and also going out to have a walk around the mounting yard on one of the days earlier in the preparation.

“It all seems to be falling into place for him. He looks to have settled in really well, so I like what we're seeing initially and now he's got to take that to the races and see him under that race day pressure.”

Vauban has won close to €1 million throughout his career to date. All told, he has won eight of his 21 starts and, as well as his emergence as a solid hurdler in Britain and Ireland for Mullins, he scored at Group 2 level on the Flat and went down fighting behind outstanding stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year's Irish St Leger. 

Bott continued, “He's probably had a different training regime down here in comparison to what he's done previously in his career. He's now racing where it's probably a little bit more tactical and that tactical speed is probably a bit more relevant and important, as opposed to some of the races he's been in previously in Europe.

“That's just the adjustments he's going to have to make now and that's probably the improvements we can see out of the back of his first preparation here. I wouldn't say he's fully where we need him yet, I'd say that will all hopefully fall into place after a campaign here.”

The post Ex Mullins-Trained Cheltenham Hero To Make Debut For Waterhouse And Bott appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article