Waterhouse and Bott have an eye on the Cup

Sir Delius made an immediate impression in his Australian debut, winning the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Doomben.

The four-year-old son of Frankel, who had finished eighth in last year’s Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m), looked right at home despite carrying top weight on a heavy track. The win firmly established him as a genuine Lexus Melbourne Cup contender.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott was full of praise: “He’s bred to get over much further and his form in Europe suggests that as well,” Bott said.

“He was always purchased as a Melbourne Cup prospect. He’s got that quality about him so everything we do in this preparation will be geared towards that.”

Owned by Sir Owen Glenn – who has claimed many of Australia’s biggest races but is still chasing a Melbourne Cup – Sir Delius was always considered a long-range Cup runner.

“Sir Owen Glenn identified him as a Melbourne Cup prospect and we were able to partner up with him as a major shareholder. We put together a nice partnership with some existing stable clients,” said Bott.

Sir Delius is now spelling, with plans for a spring campaign to be confirmed soon. His next likely target is the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 14, a race that will serve as a crucial stepping stone before his primary focus shifts to Flemington.

Stablemate Vauban is also heading back to Flemington, preparing for his third consecutive attempt at the Lexus Melbourne Cup. The Irish-bred gelding previously finished 14th as the favourite in 2023 and 11th in 2024.

Following these runs, he was sold by former owner Rich Ricci to Australian Bloodstock for over £1 million, and subsequently transferred from Willie Mullins’ stables in Ireland to the Waterhouse-Bott stable. Ricci retained a share in the former Irish galloper.

Vauban demonstrated his class earlier this autumn with a strong win in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in March. He then finished third in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) and was unplaced in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in April, before going for a spell.

The Lexus Melbourne Cup remains the plan.

“He’s had a break since his run in the Queen Elizabeth and his target will be the Melbourne Cup,” Bott confirmed on Racing.com. “He’s still spelling, so we don’t have him back in work yet, but he’s due to come back in soon.”

The other one to keep an eye on is the up-and-coming staying mare, Alalcance. Also a European import, she disappointed in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) when favourite, coming off the back of a trifecta of dominant wins in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m), Group 3 N.E. Manion Cup (2400m) and Group 2 Chairman's Quailty (2600m) respectively.

She was subsequently spelled following her Sydney Cup run and could return as a genuine contender in the spring. If she bounces back to her best, she looms as another valuable asset in the Waterhouse and Bott team’s pursuit of Lexus Melbourne Cup glory.