Vauban defies heatwave to win on debut for new Australian connections following A$2 million sale

Vauban started his new chapter in Australia in fine style when thundering home to win the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

On his first start since finishing 11th in the Melbourne Cup for trainer Willie Mullins and owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, Vauban made a winning debut for Australian Bloodstock following his A$2 million (£1.02m/€1.22m) sale shortly after the Flemington feature last November.

Almost three years to the day since the now seven-year-old won the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he was racing in very different conditions to what he is used to, with temperatures soaring to a sweltering 36C in the Sydney suburbs.

The 1m2f trip of the Group 3 Sky High was also the shortest distance Vauban has run over in his career, which yielded eight wins in 21 starts in Europe.

Despite those challenges, he proved up to the task as he overhauled Arapaho on the line to score by a nose under Tim Clark.

Adrian Bott, who trains the 8-1 winner alongside Gai Waterhouse, said a lot of time had been spent on getting Vauban, who was reluctant to load into the stalls before the race, used to Australian conditions.

"That was part of the reason in bringing him to so many racecourse gallops, exposures and trials," he told racing.com.

"He wouldn't have run over those shorter races in his career. It's not until you can see them under raceday pressure in these race conditions that you get a true guide. I was really impressed by that today."

Vauban was bought with the aim of targeting a third Melbourne Cup – he was 14th when sent off favourite in 2023 – and is now set to contest the Group 1 Tancred Stakes and then possibly the Sydney Cup.

In the feature Group 1 Coolmore Classic, Lady Shenandoah enhanced her claims of becoming the season's champion three-year-old filly by registering her fifth straight win to hand trainer Chris Waller a third consecutive success in the A$1 million contest. 

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