“The Melbourne Cup is obviously his goal”

A third tilt at the Melbourne Cup is back on the agenda for Vauban after connections announced he had been sold to Australian Bloodstock in partnership with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for around A$2 million (£1.02m).

The Rich Ricci-owned star has failed to shine in the past two Melbourne Cups, finishing a disappointing 14th when sent off favourite for the race in 2023 before only bettering that by three places when midfield at Flemington last week.

An emphatic winner of the 2022 Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, the Wilie Mullins-trained six-year-old had been set to return to Ireland, with the Closutton-based handler mooting a potential campaign geared towards having a crack at the Stayers' Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March.

However, Vauban, who finished runner-up to champion stayer Kyprios in the Group 1 Irish St Leger at the Curragh in September, will now head to New South Wales for a break before joining Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.

Speaking on Nick Luck's Daily Podcast, Australian Bloodstock's managing director Jamie Lovett said: "We're obviously delighted to be teaming up with Gai. Gai was very keen on the horse and the horse obviously speaks for himself.

"We just had the opportunity to team up with Gai and Adrian Bott on this particular horse and he's not one that is hard to identify.

"I've always been very forgiving of any horses that come down and don't always perform off the aircraft, it's not easy to do. We're just hoping we can have him return to the form that he showed in the Northern Hemisphere last season, and we're excited to see what lies ahead.

"The Melbourne Cup is obviously the goal. He's had two tries at it, so he's going to have to defy history to do it third time around, but we feel very confident that he's the right horse."

A sensational seven-and-a-half-length winner of the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in 2022, Vauban has won eight of his 21 outings and amassed £844,710 in prize money throughout his career thus far.

Vauban will continue his career sporting the famous colours of Australian Bloodstock, which were carried to Melbourne Cup success by Protectionist in 2014 and fellow French-bred Gold Trip in 2022.