How Gai Waterhouse transformed Caulfield Cup hope Vauban after pair of Melbourne Cup flops

Countless private laps of the Randwick mounting yard on non-race days has settled the antsy former international, an $11 chance to win the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

Waterhouse and Bott worked meticulously to help the anxious former Willie Mullins-trained stayer with Australian pre-parade and barrier manners.

Mullins raced Vauban in consecutive 2023-24 Melbourne Cups as favourite but unsaddled the Irish galloper unplaced on each occasion after he melted in the mounting yard.

Vauban, moved to Waterhouse and Bott after being purchased by Australian Bloodstock last year, has benefited from a pre-training boot camp around Randwick’s Theatre of the Horse mounting yard.

“He’s been there lots and lots of times but it helped him accept this is race day (experience) without getting ‘oh my god’,” Waterhouse said.

“He really had his knickers in a twist when he came to Australia (2023-24 Melbourne Cup bids), I’m delighted (we’ve done a) stack of work getting him to accept the barriers and be more relaxed.

“He’ll never be perfect, that’s him, he’s an older horse but he’s a lovely, lovely gelding … he wants to go to the races (now).”

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Vauban rewarded connections instantly in March, with a first-up Group 3 success at Rosehill.

He placed third in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) second-up, then failed in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth (2000m), not suited back in trip against the weight-for-age stars.

Vauban has tuned up for the Caulfield Cup with three Randwick runs, ran third first-up in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes before luckless Kingston Town (2000m) and Metropolitan (2400m) starts.

Vauban has drawn to potentially get a trouble-free start on Saturday from barrier 13, with champion jockey Blake Shinn afforded options in the 300m charge to the first corner.

“He needs 2400m and plus, outside draw will be good for him,” Waterhouse said.

“A few more extra steps … he got very far back in the Metrop, but he’s done very well since then.

“He hasn’t quite had the right positioning in a lot of the races, been in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s just life isn’t it sometimes, the way the races are run.

“I think Saturday’s race will suit him well.”

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Vauban has won nine of 27 starts and raced at 15 racecourses in France, UK, Ireland and Australia.

Waterhouse said the experiences held the eight-year-old in good stead to handle Caulfield first time.

“He’s been to enough tracks in his life … he’ll handle Caulfield with his eyes shut,” Waterhouse said.

“He’s a horse that’s travelled the world … that’s why I didn’t bring him over this week (track gallop).”

Waterhouse, who won the 2010 Caulfield Cup with Descarado, said Vauban would improve again in the Melbourne Cup next start.

“We’d like to win the Caulfield Cup again,” Waterhouse said.

“It’s a few years since Descarado did it, it goes back into almost ancient history!”

Originally published as How Gai Waterhouse transformed Caulfield Cup hope Vauban after pair of Melbourne Cup flops