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By Ray Hickson

No stone has been left unturned by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to ensure high profile stayer Vauban settles into his new routine and fires on race day but the proof will come in his Sydney debut at Rosehill on Saturday.

Adrian Bott (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It's fair to say he hasn’t lived up to his reputation in two Melbourne Cup failures and the former Willie Mullins stayer was purchased late last year for around $2 million by Australian Bloodstock, and the Waterhouse/Bott stable, to remain in Australia.

When he steps out in the Group 3 $350,000 Asahi Super Dry Sky High Stakes (2000m), Adrian Bott said on RSN he doesn’t expect the occasion to get to him and a competitive performance is on the cards.

“That’s one thing I feel has changed, he’s been quite relaxed and settled in everything we’ve seen from him at home,’’ Bott said.

“He's had a good grounding for it. I like what we’ve seen from him in his trials.

“His latest exhibition gallop at Warwick Farm I thought was particularly pleasing. He’s going there in good order, he seems versatile in the going.

“Any give (in the track) he can be effective in but also on top of the ground he seems to have handled the surfaces really well.”

Vauban, $3.90 with TAB on Wednesday, has been a busy horse since arriving at Tulloch Lodge and Bott hopes the acclimatisation work pays off in what is an important preparation for the seven-year-old.

He appeared in the parade ring at Royal Randwick back on January 25 for a walk around the Theatre Of The Horse and has back there again at least once more on race day.

The gelding then trialled twice in February and he ventured to Warwick Farm last week for a gallop alongside stablemate Just Fine.

“He’s had various exposures to race day already, having an exhibition gallop at the races, a couple of course proper trials, he’s been over to the races and paraded through the parade ring on race day,’’ Bott said.

“It’s all really starting to fall into place now.

“Hopefully he can hold it together on race day, in saying that everything we’ve seen from him at home he’s a lovely, relaxed, great natured horse and he looks to have sharpened nicely.”

It’s not clear yet whether Vauban will contest the Sydney Cup (3200m), where he has top weight of 58kg, but Bott said it’s not off the table.

“He’s got all the entries. Second-up he’ll head to the Tancred, 2400m weight-for-age, and we wouldn’t be afraid to be running third-up in (the Sydney Cup) over that trip,’’ he said.

“One step at a time, he’s a horse we’ve only had in the stable for a couple of months.”

Last year’s Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot renews rivalries with Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 $1 million Coolmore Classic (1500m) and Bott doesn’t expect the extra 100m to be an issue.

There wasn’t a lot between the pair in the Surround Stakes at 1400m two weeks ago and while he was hoping for a more favourable barrier the filly will jump alongside her major rival.

“I don’t mind (1500m) for her particularly around Rosehill,’’ he said.

Just Fine (@Reganbayliss), the 2023 Metropolitan winner, and @GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott stablemate Vauban (@JoshuaParr8) work over 1400m between races at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/hcuNGbS013

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 5, 2025

Vauban works with Just Fine at Warwick Farm

“The 1400m at Randwick can be a good test and I thought she ran that out strongly, having been exposed for the majority of the way and having to do some work in the initial stages.

“She looks to have held together nicely, held her form off that recent run, if she can maintain and hold that it will see her being very effective once again.”

Coincidentally, the last filly to win the Coolmore Classic was Typhoon Tracy in 2009 and she also jumped from gate 14.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill