Melbourne Cup fancies set for Chelmsford Stakes 2025 return

While victory is not the main aim, Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick will serve as an important checkpoint for Waterhouse and Bott imports Vauban and Sir Delius as they head towards the Melbourne Cup. The 1600m Group 2 is the starting point of campaigns that will stretch deep into the spring.

Neither runner has previously raced over such a short trip, adding an extra layer of intrigue. Sir Delius, who already boasts a Group 3 win in France, announced himself with a dominant 2000m performance at Doomben on debut for the yard in May. Vauban, meanwhile, enjoyed a productive autumn highlighted by a Group 3 win and Group 1 placing.

Bott acknowledged the mile would test their sharpness but believes the pair are in excellent order. “They have trialled up really well respectively going into it. It’s fair to say the mile is probably going to be a bit short for them both first-up but I feel they’re set for nice campaigns. They’re in really good order and they can run a nice race fresh but no doubt it’s still a long way from their main targets and they are much better suited going over a bit further.”

Both horses are priced at $11 in Melbourne Cup (3200m) futures, with Vauban bringing valuable Cup experience from his Irish-trained attempts and Sir Delius aiming to progress quickly into the spotlight. Bott confirmed that their schedules will diverge after Randwick, with Sir Delius to campaign in Melbourne and Vauban likely to stay closer to home. “Sir Delius will most likely head straight down to Melbourne and there are a few different options we can take within those paths, depending on what we see first-up and where we feel we need to get to in order to get to the Melbourne Cup,” Bott said.

For Saturday, Ceolwulf holds sway in markets as the $2 favourite, with Sir Delius rated a $4 chance and Vauban at $11 with the bookies.