Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Gai Waterhouse is confident she has pulled the right rein after wrapping Melbourne Cup veteran Vauban in cotton wool.
The nine-year-old gelding is among the three oldest starters in Tuesday’s 166th running of the $10.2 million race at Flemington.
In partnership with co-trainer Adrian Bott, Australian racing’s first lady chose to run the $51 chance just once in the lead up.
The French import didn’t exactly turn heads in the Geelong Cup, finishing a disappointing ninth.
Waterhouse, who won the 2013 Melbourne Cup with Fiorente, said the approach with Vauban this campaign had been to just let him “cruise”.
“He’s an older horse so we don’t want to break him down,” she said.
“I’ve made him happy. I want to have a certain weight on him.
“I made sure I got the miles in his legs. You don’t need to gallop the insides out of them.
“Every horse is different. They’re like us and I love a challenge … and this year is a bit of a challenge.”
Vauban contested the Cup twice for legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins, running 14th as favourite in 2023 and 11th the year after.
Transferred to the Sydney-based Waterhouse-Bott stable, he finished a solid sixth last year.
It is rare for a horse to return for a fourth crack at the 3200m handicap race.
Precedence (2010-2014), Red Cadeaux (2011-2015) and Zipping (2006-2009) are among recent gallopers to start in at least four Cups.
Red Cadeaux famously snared a third runner-up finish in his fourth Cup tilt, before his fifth appearance at age 10 ended in tragedy.
Shadow King holds the mark for the most Melbourne Cup starts, with six spanning from 1929 and 1935.
Waterhouse said she hadn’t been spooked by Vauban drawing barrier 22, with jockey Jordan Childs likely to keep a close eye on top chance Trustyourinstinct after it drew barrier 18.
“Sometimes you’re out of the shemozzle, arent you? And once you’re in those closer barriers you’ll be squeezed up,” she said.
“We’ve got the favourite just inside us.”
