Blueblood Dubawi colt Delacroix was a beaten favourite in the Group I Epsom Derby when unplaced behind his stablemate Lambourn, but he found his time to shine overnight when scoring a miraculous last to first win in the Group I Coral Eclipse Stakes (1m2f) at Sandown.
With Royal Ascot G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero Ombudsman the race favourite, Delacroix was always going to have to find a new level to win and the Aidan O’Brien trained three year-old did just that under a brilliant ride from Ryan Moore.
He settled last and let loose with a lethal turn of foot to run down Ombudsman and win by a neck with Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court running home for third.
“It was far from simple. I wanted to go forward but got caught in a pocket and was a long way back. So, I had to wait and go around them. Delacroix showed a very good turn of foot and got up to beat a very good horse. He is a Dubawi and he didn't like Epsom, but is out of a great racemare (Tepin) and had a superior turn of foot today,” said Ryan Moore.
Delacroix has the overall record of five wins from nine starts with this victory his first at G1 level and Aidan O’Brien credited the team around the blueblood for his success.
Delacroix was bred by the Tepin syndicate and retained to race by the Coolmore partners. He is a half-brother to last year’s Group I winner Grateful and is the second stakes-winner from Champion US Turf Mare and six time Group I winner Tepin, who was bought by MV Magnier for US$8million at the 2017 Fasig Tipton November Sale.
A massive investment, Tepin has now had two foals to race and both are G1 winners, but in a sad turn of events, she died in 2023 and Delacroix is her final foal.
Delacroix is the 62nd Group I winner for Darley’s champion sire Dubawi.
