Europe
Delacroix’s turn of foot gets him an Eclipse title
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
In the race that Ryan Moore is coming to call his own, Coolmore's number one delivered his Ballydoyle pick Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to deny Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the dying strides of a dramatic G1 Coral-Eclipse on Saturday. Moore needed all of his guile to rescue a seemingly lost cause to reel in the 6-4 favourite close home.
“It was a steadily-run race for that class of race, but this horse has a really good turn of foot and it made the difference,” Moore said of the heavily-supported 3-1 second favourite, who delivered the surge that had characterised his Derby preps this spring to beat Godolphin's market-leader by a neck and extend Aidan O'Brien's tally in the Sandown monument to 10. Ruling Court (USA) (Justify {USA}) was another 1.75l away in third.
“It wasn't the first or the second or the third plan! He began okay, but nobody really wanted to make the running and I had to give way to William (Buick) as he was on an older, bigger horse. I thought we'd wait and go around, then Camille Pissarro came, so we had to wait again, but it was a good turn of foot that got him out of trouble.
“He was the only horse here that hadn't won a Group 1, but he'd threatened to and right from the start as a 2-year-old he's been held in high regard and he's obviously out of a great racemare and by Dubawi.”
“It wasn't the first or the second or the third plan! He began okay, but nobody really wanted to make the running and I had to give way to William (Buick) as he was on an older, bigger horse. I thought we'd wait and go around, then Camille Pissarro came, so we had to wait again, but it was a good turn of foot that got him out of trouble.
“He was the only horse here that hadn't won a Group 1, but he'd threatened to and right from the start as a 2-year-old he's been held in high regard and he's obviously out of a great racemare and by Dubawi.”
“Right from the start as a 2-year-old he's (Delacroix) been held in high regard and he's obviously out of a great racemare and by Dubawi.” - Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien was quick to pay tribute to the jockey who keeps making the operation's dreams come true on these big days. “I'd say it was one of his best rides,” he said. “It was kind of a fog to me, as there was so much happening but it looked incredible. We see him do it so often, whether it is from the front or the back.
“We see Ryan every day and the things he does. I don't know how long he has been riding for us now, but I say every year he gets better. He makes himself better all the time. He was calm, collected and clinical there.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Of Delacroix, he added, “When you can relax and quicken like that over a mile and a quarter it is a brilliant thing to have up your sleeve. He came at the death and it was mind-blowing from where he came from but Ryan did say to me that Delacroix is a very fast horse and he wouldn't be surprised if he is a miler.
“I can't tell you how important Delacroix is. The lads have been looking for a Dubawi all their life and he is out of a champion. He is a total outcross for all the mares and has power and strength–a beautiful, big horse.”
“I can't tell you how important Delacroix is. The lads have been looking for a Dubawi all their life and he is out of a champion.” - Aidan O'Brien
Delacroix, who has won five of his nine starts, is sadly the final foal out of the multiple top-level winner and Breeders' Cup Mile and Queen Anne heroine Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}), who also provided this operation with the G1 Prix de Royallieu winner Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) prior to her untimely passing. Tepin was purchased by MV Magnier for US$8 million (AU$12.2 million) at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The second dam Life Happened (USA) (Stravinsky {USA}) is also responsible for four-time Graded stakes winner VY Jack (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}).
Inaugural Listed Pat Smullen Stakes won by Wootton Bassett's Daytona
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Directly after the Eclipse, Aidan O'Brien was enjoying another notable success in his native Ireland as the 2-year-old colt Daytona (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) captured the inaugural Listed Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes at Naas. Sent off the 4-5 favourite for the mile contest, the Gowran Park debut winner moved to market-rival North Coast (Ire) (Starman {GB}) approaching the final furlong and soon had the race wrapped up.
At the line, the Wayne Lordan-ridden 500,000gns (AU$1.09 million) Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate had 3.25l to spare over that Joseph O'Brien trainee as Ballydoyle collected another juvenile black-type contest in 2025.
“Jack Cleary gave him a lovely introduction in Gowran, where for a first-timer he was impressive,” Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said. “He's come along lovely at home since then, but he's still fairly raw. They went along at a nice pace and he travelled into it really strong, but when he got there he was still very babyish.”
The race, which carries much emotional significance, is part of the new “Smullen Series” consisting of 18 races for two and 3-year-olds and Armstrong was quick to pay tribute to the initiative. “It's a lovely new series that they've introduced and all these new series initiatives help the programme,” he added. “It's named after a legend and Aidan picked this race out straight after Gowran for him. He's delighted to win the first running of it and hopefully we can win a few more of them.”
The dam is the Listed winner Detailed (Ire) (Motivator {GB}), a relative of the four-time Group 1-winning Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero and sire Sendawar (Ire).
America
Belmont Oaks won by Fionn
By Alan Carasso, TDN
The white-hot Flavien Prat conjured up one final lunge from distant second favourite Fionn (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) and nabbed long odds on choice Nitrogen (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) right on the wire to take out Saturday's G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It was the fifth victory on the program for the reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey.
“It was outstanding. This is my first Grade 1 winner. George (Messina) and I have been partners for just about two years and we have only owned a few horses, and this was a relatively inexpensive purchase for $75,000 and I just can't believe we are winning a Grade 1 right now,” said co-owner Michael Lee.
A US$75,000 (AU$114,000) Keeneland September purchase, Fionn has won five of her seven starts. Fionn is an 11th Grade 1 winner for her sire and she is the 35th Grade 1/Group 1 winner produced by a daughter of the legendary Giant's Causeway (USA) and is bred on that Candy Ride (USA) cross over Storm Cat (USA) that has proven so successful over the years.
Bill Shiveley's Dixiana Farms acquired Fionn's dam Gaelic Gold (USA) for US$275,000 (AU$419,000) at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale with this filly in utero and the female family is replete with black-type. Gaelic Gold is a daughter of Strike It Rich (USA), herself a Grade 3 winner on the grass and dam of five winners, including stakes winner Sea Foam (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) and the stakes-placed Straw Into Gold (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}).
South Africa
Durban July won in a thriller by The Real Prince
By Renee Geelen, TTR AusNZ
South Africa’s biggest race, the G1 Durban July and their equivalent of Australia’s G1 Cox Plate, went to the wire in a thriller on Saturday night with 4-year-old entire The Real Prince (Saf) (Gimmethegreenlight) winning by a nose from favourite and triple Group 1 winner Eight On Eighteen (Saf) (Lancaster Bomber {USA}). Ridden by Craig Zackey, The Real Prince held off the favourite in a tough battle giving owner Lady Christine Laidlaw a second July.
“This family we know so well and this was a team effort by everyone. I am very excited for Lady Laidlaw, she has been a great supporter of my yard and this family has treated me so well,” said trainer Dean Kannemeyer who was enjoying his fourth July success.
“I remember buying Real Princess in the yearling sales and she was a top race filly in this country. Her first foal is Gimme A Prince who was champion sprinter in this country, he's her second foal and the fourth one won first time out the other day and is looking for a mile. When we bought her Jehan said with that pedigree she is going to go a mile without a doubt, maybe further and we were banking on that stamina with this horse.”
The winner’s dam Real Princess (Saf) (Trippi {USA}) was purchased by Lady Laidlaw’s racing manager Form Bloodstock's Jehan Malherbe for a sale-topping R2.7 million (AU$234,000) at the 2013 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
She won the G1 South African Fillies Sprint, and has been to Champion South African sire Gimmethegreenlight, a Vinery Stud-bred Group 1-winning son of More Than Ready (USA), every year she’s been to stud, producing Group 1 winner Gimme A Prince (Saf) with her first foal, The Real Prince with her second, Group 3-winning 3-year-old filly Gimme’s Countess (Saf) with her third, and winning 2-year-old colt Gimme Rules with her fourth.
Real Princess is a half-sister to Group 1 winner William Longsword (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}), and Listed winners Really Royal (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}) and Silver God (Saf) (Silvano {Ger}). The other Group 1 on the card, the G1 Garden Province Stakes was won by Double Grand Slam (Saf) (Vercingetorix {Saf}).
