The highly esteemed import Vauban has put forth an outstanding performance in his first race for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, clinching victory in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes at Rosehill.

Vauban had previously contested the last two Melbourne Cups under Irish trainer Willie Mullins, where he entered as the 2023 favourite and a strong contender the year before, though he failed to secure a place in either race.

Following last year’s Cup, syndicator Australian Bloodstock partnered with the Waterhouse and Bott team to acquire Vauban, bringing the seven-year-old to Australia. Making his debut for the new stable on Saturday, he demonstrated his immense talent, signaling his potential as a top contender in the upcoming Group 1 Tancred Stakes.

Despite sweating in the hot conditions and showing some nervousness in the parade ring, Vauban ($9) positioned himself towards the back of the small field under jockey Tim Clark. He then unleashed a powerful finishing burst, sweeping wide to secure a narrow victory, defeating Group 1 winner Arapaho ($4.60) by half a head.

Race favorite Lindermann ($1.75) finished a further 1-1/4 lengths behind in third.

Bott expressed his belief in Vauban’s abilities, noting that although the gelding has some idiosyncrasies, his natural skill was clear.

“He does have a few little habits that we’ll continue working through, but he’s adjusting well,” Bott said.

“He’s an older horse, and set in his ways, so we don’t want to make drastic changes.

“What he showed today was impressive, to come from the back in a slowly-run race and still finish strong.

“The track might have played to his strengths, but I thought 2000 meters might have been a bit of a challenge. This win sets him up nicely for his main target next time.”

Bott was especially pleased with Vauban’s acceleration over 2000m and is eager to see how he performs over longer distances. The weight-for-age Tancred Stakes (2400m) in two weeks is a natural next step, followed by a potential bid for the Sydney Cup (3200m) later in the autumn.

“I wasn’t sure how sharp he’d be at this distance, given his lack of experience over shorter trips,” Bott said.

“Trial performances don’t always paint the clearest picture, so it was encouraging to see him respond so well under race conditions.”

Clark acknowledged that although Vauban was quite agitated before the race, his ability to settle during the race allowed him to conserve enough energy to finish strongly.

“That was an incredible performance,” Clark said.

“He’s undoubtedly a horse of immense ability, even with his unique traits. The team has done a fantastic job keeping him as calm as possible. He was a bit anxious in the yard, but that’s likely just part of his nature.

“We’ll adjust to that, but once he was on the track, he delivered a breathtaking win, a real testament to Gai and Adrian’s training efforts.”

Following his victory in the Sky High Stakes, Vauban has been installed as the $3.50 equal betting site favourite alongside Dubai Honour for the Tancred Stakes and is also an early market leader for this year’s Melbourne Cup.