Vauban Triumphs at York: The 2022 Triumph Hurdle winner bounces back in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup, setting sights on a potential Melbourne Cup return.
Vauban fended off a late surge from Al Nayyir to secure his first win of the season in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York.
The 2022 Triumph Hurdle champion has found notable success on the Flat track over the past couple of seasons. He triumphed at Royal Ascot and achieved a Group Three victory last summer before an underwhelming performance as a strong favourite for the Melbourne Cup in November.
This season, he started with a second-place finish behind Giavellotto in the Yorkshire Cup in May. He looked promising in the Gold Cup in June until his stamina waned in the final stages.
After disappointing favorite backers in the Curragh Cup last month, the six-year-old returned to his best on the Knavesmire, setting up a potential return to Australia later in the year.
Willie Mullins has a winner at York đź‘Ź
Vauban holds off Al Nayyir to take the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup 🏆#ITVRacing | #EborFestival | @WillieMullinsNH | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/GxB1bBwvXU
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 23, 2024
Positioned in midfield for the majority of the two-mile race, the chestnut trained by Willie Mullins was traveling comfortably within the final three furlongs and accelerated swiftly to take the lead under William Buick.
As market leaders Point Lonsdale and Gregory fell out of contention after setting the pace, the 11-2 favourite Vauban seemed set for victory. However, Al Nayyir, in his first start for Tom Clover, finished strongly and was just a short head behind at the finish line.
Paddy Power has now cut the odds from 14-1 to 10-1 for Vauban to win the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5.
