With the Juddmonte and Yorkshire Oaks in the books, Ebor 2024 rolls into Friday and as a taster for the Nunthorpe main event later on, Vauban is looking to make a mark in the Lonsdale Cup.
One of the longer trips of the Festival, the distance just a fraction over 2m is one for the Group 2 stayers, as the British Champions Series heads full-steam toward the end of the season.
A race won in previous editions by Coltrane, the bolt-up Quickthorn in 2022 and three times by the mighty Stradivarius, this contest has separated the colts from the geldings.
So could Vauban be the latest entrant into the race’s winner’s circle and hand trainer Willie Mullins a second race win?
Making the switch
The notion of jumps runners switching to the flat has often been scoffed at, but Vauban has been something of trailblazer in that regard.
Having spent his maiden year in France on the flat, the 6yo French gelding looked to have made the switch over hurdles a permanent one.
However, after back-to-back four-race terms, the son of Galiway could not recapture his first season of transition, winning the Triumph Hurdle and Ballymore Champion 4YO Hurdle in the space of a month in early 2023.
It was earlier this year as a runner-up at Punchestown in looking to complete a Champion Hurdle successive double, Vauban already had his eyes on Royal Ascot.
And with Willie Mullins in the yard, preparations seldom are in better shape.
Vauban splits the field wide open to win the Copper Horse Handicap
An utterly dominant performance and a treble on the day for Ryan Moore!#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot | @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/8HQIHe9sOb
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 20, 2023
Not least as a man with one victory in this race already under the belt – which, for a jumps trainer is no mean feat – but who has made becoming a UK turf maestro his goal during the last two terms.
Indeed, making his first flat outing in just under two years at the Royal Meet in 2023, Vauban surged to victory in the Copper Horse. He had not missed a beat.
Yet, Group 1 success still eludes him on his racing code of choice.
It has been four races in the space of a year since his last win but now, with Vauban and Mullins showing no intention of returning to the jumps, the signs are there a big result could be coming.
Finishing well down the field in November’s Melbourne Cup, a spirited fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup pointed at a changing of fortune.
So, could the Lonsdale Cup be a step back in the right direction?
Contenders
The bookies rate Vauban’s chances highly this week at 3/1 with William Hill, but an already red-hot this week, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore duo are a sizeable obstacle in the way.
Point Lonsdale is also looking for a way back to the elite, and is set to be installed as 9/4 pre-race favourite for a contest aptly named.
Having broken a winless drought since last year’s May Festival – coincidentally at Chester – AP O’Brien ran him at Saint Cloud last time out, resulting in a third place finish.
Point Lonsdale has the breeding of former Juddmonte winner, Australia, but can he replicate his father’s run of a decade ago?
A third runner here, and another to fall to the mighty Kyprios in June’s Gold Cup, Gregory, is again back for more.
Put Gregory on soft, good or firm ground, the results have quite simply not come, but with Quickthorn the likely pace angle here, punters are quietly fancying Gregory’s chances in a dash to the post.
An excellent price we might look at finally, Alsakib won the John Smith’s Silver Cup when last running the Knavesmire, having come fourth in the Copper Horse.
Though there might be concerns of the baked ground, punters could do worse than to back Andrew Balding’s 4yo at a steady 10/1 price with BetVictor.
The Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes takes place on Friday at 2:25pm UK time.
