Melbourne Cup fancies Vauban and Sir Delius trial strongly ahead of spring returns

The Australian

10-08-2025

They were only barrier trials but there was a lot to like about the efforts of stayers Vauban and Sir Delius.
This was the summation of their trainer Adrian Bott after the $11 equal favourites for the Melbourne Cup went through their paces in Sydney last week.
Vauban, the former Irish stayer, was particularly impressive showing surprising speed and holding off champion mare Via Sistina to win a 1000m trial at Randwick on Thursday.
Then at the Warwick Farm trials on Friday, boom French import Sir Delius closed off his 1200m heat strongly for a close third.
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Bott, who trains in partnership with Hall of Famer Gai Waterhouse, said Vauban and Sir Delius are on target to resume racing in the Group 2 $300,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 6.
'Vauban was excellent in his trial, he is showing good signs that is back feeling well and in great order,'' Bott said.
'The plan is to trial him again and then we will see him first-up in the Chelmsford.
'Sir Delius also trialled well with more improvement to come. He will have another trial and go first-up into the Chelmsford, too.''
Bott said Vauban and Sir Delius are likely to have at least two runs in Sydney this spring before going south to be prepared for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4,
Via Sistina, the Horse of the Year-elect, also shares Melbourne Cup favouritism but is a most unlikely starter in the Flemington two-miler on November 4.
Trainer Chris Waller has indicated Via Sistina is being set to defend her Cox Plate title and will follow a similar spring program to last year, beginning with her comeback in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 23.
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Via Sistina won the Winx Stakes 12 months ago and is $2.80 in early TAB Fixed Odds betting to go back-to-back in the $1m weight-for-age race.
Fangirl, a stablemate of Via Sistina, ran fourth in the Vauban trial and is also set to resume in the Winx Stakes, a race she won two years ago.
The Randwick trials session last Thursday was loaded with potential spring carnival contenders with another of Waller's all-star team, Lady Shenandoah, tuning for her Winx Stakes return with a third placing behind Palmetto.
Waterhouse and Bott prepared six trials winners on Thursday, a feat equalled by the Michael Freedman stable.
Freedman's classy mare Manaal impressed in her trial win against a classy field including Wodeton, Clean Energy and Stefi Magnetica.
'I was very happy with Manaal's trial and she goes to the Toy Show Quality (Randwick, August 23),'' Freedman said.
'From what she has shown us so far, she is in for a good spring. There are a lot of options for her but I am looking at The Invitation and maybe the Golden Eagle.''
Freedman's other trial winners were from his talented three-year-old team including promising Pallaton and emerging duo Extractor and Ruination.
Pallaton, the one-time Golden Slipper favourite last season, is set to resume in the Listed $200,000 The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill next Saturday.
'I've always had a good opinion of Pallaton but things went pear-shaped for him in the autumn for a couple of reasons,'' Freedman said.
'But he had a long spell and a nice build-up to this campaign with two trial wins. He's coming up well and the plan is to go to The Rosebud.''
Freedman's other Rosehill entries for Saturday include Ninja, a three-year-old part-owned by My Racehorse Syndications, who won his maiden at Kembla Grange by a stunning 11 lengths last start.
Apocalyptic, owned and trained in the same interests as Ninja, is shaping as one of the main contenders in the feature three-year-old fillies races this spring on the evidence of her eye-catching effort at last Friday's Warwick Farm trials.
After being clear last on the turn in her 795m heat, Apocalyptic zoomed home wide out to finish a half-length away in fifth position even though jockey Tommy Berry never asked the filly for maximum effort.
'Apocalyptic is a lovely filly,'' Freedman enthused.
'She was one of our top seeds for the autumn but we had to stop with her.
'But she has returned in great order and I may look to trial her again before she kicks off again.''
Although Pallaton and Apocalyptic never made it to the Golden Slipper last autumn, Freedman was still able to win the world's richest two-year-old race with Marhoona.
Freedman said Marhoona is still about two weeks from having her first trial with the plan for the filly to go first-up into the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at the Chelmsford meeting next month.
'Marhoona will trial at Randwick on Tuesday week,'' the trainer said.
'We have ruled out the Silver Shadow Stakes (August 23) as it is set weights with penalties which is not ideal so she will go to the Furious Stakes at level weights.''
Freedman hasn't ruled out setting Marhoona for Group 1 The TAB Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 18.
'We haven't been approached for The Everest yet but I guess if she is in good form during the spring she might attract some slot-holder interest,'' he added.