Flemington, here he comes. Vauban added to a spine-tingling Royal Ascot display with a Ballyroan Stakes success that was sprinkled with a little less stardust, but was emphatic nonetheless.
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner needed to win a Listed race or at least be placed in a Group race to officially qualify for the Australian showpiece and a decisive length-and-a-half victory over Valiant King in the Group 3 means the packing can start.
David Casey will travel with Vauban and already has his tickets booked and Willie Mullins’ assistant believes there is more improvement to come.
Casey said: “That ticked a box, which we were here for today. We needed to get placed to qualify for the Melbourne Cup.
“I think there’s plenty of improvement in him. He had a little break after Ascot and was ready to start back today. Everything was right for him today. There was a bit of ease in the ground and there weren’t many runners. We’re obviously delighted with what he did.”
Vauban was also trimmed into 3-1 (from 4) for the Lonsdale Cup at York this month but Casey said: “He’s in all those staying races but I don’t know whether he’ll have another run or go straight there to Melbourne. Willie will decide that.”
Asked whether he might have another crack at the Champion Hurdle, in which he finished fourth last season, Casey added: “I’d say he will go back over hurdles all right. I’d imagine he will but it depends on what happens. If he goes to Melbourne he doesn’t get back until the middle of November so he wouldn’t be running at Christmas anyway.”
Ryan Moore is in pole position to ride Vauban at Flemington, but Colin Keane said he was privileged to get the call up on this occasion.
Keane said: “His record speaks for itself, he’s a very straightforward horse. He jumped nicely out of the gates and we could have made it if we had to. But we went along at a nice even pace and he was nice and relaxed. He stays well so I got him going early and he stayed well right to the line.
“I was delighted when I got the call-up. When you saw what he did at Ascot, anybody would have wanted to get on him and, obviously, his jumps record speaks for itself as well. I’m just very privileged.”
Keane thinks Vauban is a genuine Melbourne Cup contender, adding:”He ticks a lot of boxes. He stays well, he’s very uncomplicated, he’s won on quicker ground at Ascot and he’s handled slower ground here today.”
– racing.com
