Vauban’s preparation for his first campaign with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will ramp up on Tuesday morning when trials at Warwick Farm, but the planning for his first start is already well-advanced.
The imported gelding was a visitor to Saturday’s Randwick meeting, taking in the raceday experience, which is all part of Tulloch Lodge’s acclimatisation process.
The son of Galiway has been beaten when highly fancied in the past two Melbourne Cups, when he didn’t handle the occasion at Flemington, and Adrian Bott said everything was being done to try and get him to settle in.
“He was here today at the races again just having another parade because he gets a bit above himself raceday and that’s the thing we want to try and get on top of,” Bott said from Randwick.
“That’s the theory, just get him desensitised to those big racedays and the crowd, because it’s different for him back at home (in the UK).
“On the day when it counts, that’s when we need him holding his composure.”
Vauban, formerly trained by Willie Mullins, was purchased by Australian Bloodstock and clients of Waterhouse and Bott following his 11th placing as an $8 chance in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
He finished 14th as $5.50 favourite the year before, having won the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup (3319m) and finishing second to champion stayer Kyprios in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) in between.
Vauban will step out in Tuesday’s first trial, which is over 1000 metres and includes Group 1 winners Broadsiding, Tom Kitten and Just Fine.
It will be the first of two trials after which an autumn campaign be mapped out.
“He’ll need the hitout and it’s going to be well short of his best but we’re just looking to get him up and going,” Bott said.
“We’ll see him (trial) a couple of times before he gets back to the races…we haven’t finalised the program yet.”
Vauban’s trial is part of a typically big set in Sydney for this time of year with star Chris Waller fillies Autumn Glow and Aeliana among those to go around in Trial 2 over 900m, while their stablemate and Golden Slipper favourite Wodeton will trial over 800m later in the morning.
