‘Quirky’ gelding Vauban claims first Australian win for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Sky High Stakes at Rosehill

Twice beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban made an autumn carnival statement when he stormed to his first Australian win in the Sky High Stakes.

Vauban charges home to claim his first Australian win in the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Big-money buy Vauban has proven a handful since moving to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott but the imported stayer showed why he was well worth the effort at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Vauban, a two-time beaten Melbourne Cup favourite, got his first win on Australian soil with a sustained effort to edge out Arapaho and odds-on pop Lindermann in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m).

The smart son of Galiway now calls Tulloch Lodge home after being purchased for an undisclosed sum believed to be in the proximity of $A2m (£1.02m) following last year’s Melbourne Cup.

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Vauban has taken time to acclimatise in Australia with Waterhouse and Bott leaving no stone unturned behind the scenes to ensure he shows his best on race day.

It took a team effort for the barrier boys to get him in the gates but when they opened, Vauban showed his superior class.

“He is a talent and hopefully we are able to unlock it this campaign,” Bott said.

“He’s got a few little quirks there that we are going work through and I think he is going to continue to adapt.

“He is an older horse now so he is a bit set in his ways also so we don’t want to change too much because he obviously has plenty of talent there.

“That was a big win, to come off a relatively slow tempo from back there and maybe the track suited him today. I thought the 2000m he might have been a bit vulnerable but that sets him to his main targets next start.”

Vauban didn’t have a runner behind him at the halfway point of the Sky High Stakes in a small field of just six starters.

Vauban knocks off Lindermann in his first race since the Melbourne Cup! 💥@GaiWaterhouse1pic.twitter.com/t3lbRz73Oa

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025

Jockey Tim Clark got to work in the three-wide line as the field turned for home and set out in pursuit of clear leader Lindermann and Arapaho.

Vauban ($9) was up for the challenge as the seven-year-old got the better of Bjorn Baker’s Arapaho ($4.60) to score by a half-head.

Clark felt hard work in the lead-up proved crucial.

“We’ve been working behind the scenes to keep him as calm as possible,” he said.

“Although we didn’t see him quite execute that in the yard, that’s probably just him a little bit, we’ve got to get used to that.

“For him to do what he just did, what a remarkable win and a fantastic training effort by Gai and Adrian.”

“In the run he relaxes really well, goes to sleep. You can put him anywhere. That’s probably the good thing, he uses a fair bit of energy in the yard but in the run he conserves a lot of energy.”

Vauban raced successfully as a hurdler in the UK and was brought to Australia twice by former trainer Willie Mullins, finishing 14th and 11th in two Melbourne Cup attempts.

Vauban returns to the races tomorrow in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes 👀

Who is with him first up over 2000m? ✍️@GaiWaterhouse1@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/x0NfCBe4fX

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 14, 2025

A crack at the Sydney Cup remains an option for Vauban but the main focus for Waterhouse and Bott next up will be the Group 1 $1.5m Tancred Stakes (2400m) on March 29.

“I think that’ll be a great race for him and then we decide what we do off the back of that,” Bott said.

Bookies slashed Vauban’s odds from $6 into $3.50 equal favouritism with English raider Dubai Honour for the Tancred Stakes while Arapaho remains a $6 equal second elect.

A rematch with Arapaho is on the cards in the Tancred Stakes with the runner up losing no admirers in defeat.

“He has run super,” Rachel King said.

“I can’t fault him. He’s flying this prep.”

Lindermann was well-backed into the odds-on of $1.75 but ran out of petrol late as the challengers swooped.

Jockey Nash Rawiller knew he was in danger at the 150m mark.

“He couldn’t quite give me what he’s done the last two (starts),” he said.

“I don’t think anyone can take away anything from the horse. He’s been pushing Australia’s best.”

Eagle soars with timely first stakes success

Eagle Nest is set to be sold next month so her maiden Group 3 success couldn’t have come at a better time than Saturday at Rosehill Gardens.

The daughter of Shalaa helped complete a near perfect day for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou when she led all the way to win the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m).

Ryan and Alexiou had earlier trained the quinella of the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes with Skyhook and Good Hotspur while Dream Side was a narrow runner-up in the Group 3 Magic Night Stakes.

Eagle Nest completed the stakes double with a tough effort to hold off all challengers on her home track.

“She’s a really bonny mare, she gives you everything,” Alexiou said.

“I didn’t think she’d get the front as easy as she did, but when she did, I was quite confident she was going to reach be really hard to beat and she really dug in late.”

Jockey Rachel King made the wise decision to be positive on Eagle Nest early from a wide gate and was able to control the tempo from out in front.

Eagle Nest – Rises Above the Rest! 🦅

The @RARacing_ stable scores a double at Rosehill with @RachelK11 in the saddle! 👏 pic.twitter.com/VAayQCKmEb

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025

Eagle Nest ($6.50) continued to find under pressure when the challengers arrived and edged out the Michael Freedman-trained Time To Boogie ($4.40) by a short neck with Godolphin’s Pisanello ($2.50 favourite) a short head away in third.

“She’s all heart,” King said.

“She gave me everything today. She got in a beautiful rhythm and kicked hard late.”

“She probably almost needed that one just to get to her and I wanted to get as close to it as possible because I knew she’d get competitive and she did when we sort of got level with her and eyeballed her.

“She really dug deep for me.”

Eagle Nest scored her maiden stakes victory last preparation by winning the Listed Starlight Stakes in November.

She will be sold at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale next month but there is a chance she will have one more start for Ryan and Alexiou before then.

“The plan with her is she’ll go to the Chairman’s Sales so we’ll just have a look what’s around for her – possibly a Sapphire Stakes, but they might want her out at Newgate to get her ready for the mare’s sale,” he said.

“She’s going to be a nice purchase for someone.”

Originally published as ‘Quirky’ gelding Vauban claims first Australian win for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Sky High Stakes at Rosehill