Vauban out to make it third time lucky in Melbourne Cup

Connections are hoping Vauban can rediscover his best form when he takes his third shot at the Melbourne Cup.

The seven-year-old was well-fancied when making the trip to Flemington for Willie Mullins in 2023 and 2024, but has since remained in Australia to be trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for owners Australian Bloodstock.

He made a flying start to his life in the southern hemisphere winning the Sky High Stakes in the spring, but has found subsequent victories tricky to come by despite not being disgraced in a host of high-ranking events.

Vauban’s most recent start came in the Caulfield Cup when failing to sparkle, but his team are prepared to rule a line through that performance as they now look ahead to another crack at Australia’s most prestigious race.

“We were a bit disappointed with him in the Caufield Cup and it was probably a little bit close to his previous run when he went close in the Metropolitan,” explained Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock.

“He drew wide and Blake (Shinn) reported he wanted to get on his Sydney leg and he just wasn’t comfortable the whole way round so we’re just going to have regroup.

“He’s a high-quality horse and he hasn’t disappointed us and probably should have won the Metropolitan the start before. He ran fifth and was luckless and I’m always happy to forgive a horse one ordinary run.

“We’re hoping he can run up to his best – albeit he’s never shown his best form at Flemington, so he’s a bit of a hard one to catch, Vauban, but European racing fans will know better than us how he’s a high-quality horse on his day.

“Our confidence has been a little bit dented after last Saturday, but Gai and Adrian remain happy with him and we remain hopeful.”

As well as Vauban, the Australian Bloodstock team hold leading claims with Al Riffa who will bid to give Joseph O’Brien a historic third victory in the ‘the race that stops a nation’ after advertising his credentials in the Irish St Leger.

Lovett added: “Joseph has been delighted with the way he has travelled over. He’s accustomed to travelling but this would be the furthest he’s ever had to travel so you are always a little bit guarded, but I believe he has settled in beautifully and we’re really excited.

“The St Leger win probably cemented our opinion of him but he was already a highly-credentialed horse. That brutally-run 2,800-metre race at the Curragh proved that two miles will hold no fears for him around the flat deck at Flemington.

“I’d love to get a drop of rain for him like most horses, but I think if he turns up on the day in the same vein of form as he did at the Curragh, it’s fair to say he will be more than competitive.”

O’Brien – who struck in 2017 with Rekindling and Twilight Payment in 2020 – will also saddle Goodie Two Shoes, while Mullins’ quest for a first Melbourne Cup sees him return with last year’s fifth Absurde who will once again be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy.

Raiders from Britain include Simon and Ed Crisford’s Meydaan, Andrew Balding’s Further and Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator – fresh from victory in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

Travelling from further afield is Bill Mott’s Parchment Party who could provide the Hall of Fame trainer with some compensation for his woes with Sovereignty at the Breeders’ Cup when saddling the first-ever American-trained runner in the Flemington showpiece.