Former jumper Vauban made an impressive statement with a sharp first-up victory, boosting his stable’s confidence ahead of a more suitable challenge at Rosehill.
Previously competing in Europe, Vauban had never raced below 2200m. However, he showcased a new dimension to his ability when storming home to claim the Sky High Stakes (2000m) under the guidance of trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
This Saturday, he extends his journey to 2400m in the $1.5 million Tancred Stakes, and according to Bott, this isn’t the only advantage working in his favor.
“He’s going to be better suited up to 2400 metres and it’s a bigger field than what we saw in the Sky High Stakes, so you’d naturally expect pressure in that sort of set-up,” Bott said.
“There is also potential rain on the day.
“There are a lot of things that would seem a positive for him going into the race.”
Rosehill’s track was rated a soft 5 on Thursday, but with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting between 15mm and 60mm of rainfall, conditions could change significantly by race time.
Vauban’s ability to handle wet ground is unquestionable, having secured six wins and four placings from 12 starts in similar conditions. Despite a strong field featuring globetrotting competitor Dubai Honour and defending champion Arapaho, the gelding is expected to thrive in a genuine staying contest.
“There is nowhere to hide on Saturday,” Bott said.
“He’s done really well in between runs and seems fantastic within himself. Hopefully there is some nice improvement to come.”
Also representing the stable at Rosehill is promising three-year-old Format, who lines up in the Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
The Frankel colt, out of Group 1-winning mare Nechita, turned heads with a dominant 4-1/2 length victory at Kembla Grange last start, though he now faces a slight distance drop of 400m.
“That is probably the difficult thing for him, coming back to the 2000 metres on Saturday,” Bott said.
“That’s going to be the only query, but he is obviously on a Derby path.”
In the last 40 years, nine horses have successfully completed the Tulloch Stakes-Australian Derby double, with Quick Thinker being the most recent in 2020.
