Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Competition winner Vauban is ready to stay in Australia having been bought by Australian Bloodstock, in partnership with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, for a price within the area of AU$2m (£1.02m).
A 3-time Grade One winner over obstacles a few years in the past, together with a Cheltenham Competition success within the Triumph Hurdle, the six-year-old reverted to the Flat final season and landed the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot and the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Naas.
He disillusioned as favorite for final yr’s Melbourne Cup, however having returned to kind this time period with a Group Two victory within the Lonsdale Cup earlier than chasing residence star stayer Kyprios within the Irish St Leger, hopes had been excessive forward of his return to Flemington earlier this month. Nonetheless, he was once more properly overwhelmed, this time ending eleventh underneath William Buick.
Mullins not too long ago prompt Vauban might develop right into a Stayers’ Hurdle contender, however it has now emerged he’ll stay within the southern hemisphere to be skilled by Waterhouse and Bott, with a 3rd crack on the ‘race that stops the nation’ on the playing cards.
Talking on Nick Luck’s Every day Podcast, Australian Bloodstock’s managing director Jamie Lovett mentioned: “We’re clearly delighted to be teaming up with Gai. Gai was very eager on the horse and the horse clearly speaks for himself.
“We simply had the chance to crew up with Gai and Adrian Bott on this specific horse and he is not one that’s laborious to establish.
“I’ve all the time been very forgiving of any horses that come down and do not all the time carry out off the plane, it isn’t simple to do. We’re simply hoping we are able to have him return to his kind that he confirmed within the northern hemisphere final season and we’re excited to see what lays forward.
“The Melbourne Cup is obviously the goal. He’s had two tries at it, so he’s going to have to defy history to do it third time around, but we feel very confident that he’s the right horse.”
