Cover image courtesy of Coolmore
An outcross to the Danehill (USA) rich Australian broodmare population with a stunning pedigree, Delacroix (Ire) had plenty to live up to for Coolmore and he quickly demonstrated why the stallion farm invests into high quality broodmares.
“We are thrilled to offer Delacroix to Australasian breeders,” said Coolmore Australia’s Sales and Nominations Manager Colm Santry.
A race record franked by global form
Delacroix debuted at two over a mile in July, running second, and was brought back to seven furlongs (1400 metres) for his second start, which he won. Taken into group class, he was second in the G3 Leopardstown Champions Juvenile Stakes, before winning the G3 Autumn Stakes over a mile. This is the same race won by Australia's current leading second season sire Ghaiyyath (Ire), who also won the G1 Eclipse Stakes.
To conclude his juvenile season, Delacroix went to Doncaster for the G1 Futurity Trophy along the straight mile track. He led the tight pack for most of the race with Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) sitting just behind him. At the three-furlong pole, the pair scooted clear of the rest and fought it out towards the finish with Hotazhell just getting the win in a bobbing finish by a nose. The remainer of the field were four lengths behind.
Back at three, Delacroix won both the G3 Ballysax Stakes and G3 Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in his first two starts, before heading the G1 Derby at Epsom. He found the 2400 metres too far and the soft track not to his liking. It would be the only time in his career that he finished outside the top four.
Video: John O'Kelly on Delacroix (Ire) who will stand at $38,500 inc GST at Coolmore Australia in 2026
Trainer Aidan O’Brien brought him back in trip to the 2000-metre G1 Eclipse Stakes. Almost everything went wrong in the race for Delacroix. He jumped well and settled in behind the leaders Hotazhell and future G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), but got shuffled back to last and with a furlong to go, Delacroix was trapped behind a wall of horses.
Jockey Ryan Moore had to switch him out wide to find galloping room and once clear, he flew home to win. Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) finished second, while last start G1 2000 Guineas victor Ruling Court (USA) (Justify {USA}) was third.
“I can't tell you how important he (Delacroix) is. The lads have been looking for a Dubawi all their life and he's out of a champion.” - Aidan O'Brien
“I can't tell you how important he is. The lads have been looking for a Dubawi all their life and he's out of a champion. He's a beautiful big horse with power, strength, and everything you want. I am delighted for the lads that he has won,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien following the Eclipse victory.
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Delacroix and Ombudsman swapped places next time out in the G1 York International Stakes, before Delacroix made it two Group 1 victories on his resume in winning the G1 Leopardstown Irish Champion Stakes. For his final start, he was fourth in the 2025 G1 Ascot Champion Stakes with European Horse Of The Year Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) the winner, and Ombudsman in second.
The form out of the Ascot Champion Stakes is outstanding with Calandagan going on to win the 2025 G1 Japan Cup at his next start. He’s started this year in similar fashion, winning the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on World Cup night at Meydan. On the same night, Ombudsman won the G1 Dubai Turf to record his third Group 1 success.
Further to that, the Eclipse Stakes / Irish Champion Stakes double has previously been achieved by notable stallions like Sadler’s Wells (USA), Giant’s Causeway (USA), Sea The Stars (Ire) and the up and coming sire St Mark’s Basilica (Fr).
Delacroix (Ire) | Image courtesy of Horse Racing Ireland
Influential pedigree with depth
Delacroix is one of 64 Group 1 winners for former shuttle sire Dubawi (Ire) who is now a Champion Sire in Great Britain and Ireland. The 24-year-old stallion is a well-regarded sire of sires with the likes of Night Of Thunder, who counts 81 stakes winners, Makfi with 48, Zarak with 34, and New Bay with 24.
And then there are the rising stars of Too Darn Hot, who already has 33 stakes winners and Ghaiyyath whose oldest are only 3-year-olds and he’s already clocked up 10 stakes winners led by G1 Victoria Derby winner Observer.
“Dubawi is one of the most influential sires in the world and, importantly, his sons are already proving a major success in Australia,” said Santry.
Dubawi (Ire) | Standing at Darley, UK
“What we’ve seen with stallions like Night Of Thunder, Ghaiyyath and Too Darn Hot is that this sire line adapts exceptionally well to our conditions, producing versatile horses with speed, class and the ability to train on. Delacroix fits that mould perfectly as a high-class Group-winning 2-year-old who trained on to win multiple Group 1s as a 3-year-old against older horses in the Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes. He’s a very exciting addition to our roster.”
“What we’ve seen with stallions like Night Of Thunder, Ghaiyyath and Too Darn Hot is that this sire line adapts exceptionally well to our conditions, producing versatile horses with speed, class and the ability to train on. Delacroix fits that mould perfectly.” - Colm Santry
Dubawi is from the Mr Prospector sire line, being from the only crop of Dubai Millennium, a son of Seeking The Gold. His female pedigree brings in lines of Shirley Heights and Dancing Brave.
“Delacroix is an outstanding individual with all the attributes we look for in a stallion: quality, athleticism and a world-class pedigree that is free of Danehill and Green Desert blood. In addition, Delacroix is a son of the great Tepin, a six-time Group 1 winner, including at Royal Ascot, and dual American Champion Female Turf Horse,” said Santry.
Colm Santry | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Between his sire and dam, Delacroix’s parents won nine Group 1 races, with six of those coming from his dam, Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}). Crowned Champion Turf Female in USA in 2015 and 2016, Tepin won four Grade 1 races in America including the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile as well as travelling to Canada for the G1 Woodbine Mile, and to Royal Ascot where she won the G1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Savvy commercial breeders will recognise Tepin, not only from her outstanding race record, but from her US$8 million (AU$11.6 million) price tag at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
“It's a lot of money, but she's an excellent racehorse,” MV Magnier said after the purchase of the Tepin, who was in foal to Curlin (USA). “She's very good looking. She was a good 2-year-old and she was good up to the age of five. It's a lot of money but... (trainer) Mark Casse did an unbelievable job with her through her career.”
MV Magnier | Image Supplied
And at stud, her first two foals were unraced, then she produced G1 Prix de Royallieu winner Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) followed by Delacroix, but sadly died the year after he was foaled. Out of unraced Stravinsky (USA) mare Life Happened (USA), Tepin is a half-sister to eight-time winner and triple Grade 2 winner Vyjack (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}).
Delacroix stood his first season at Coolmore Ireland in 2026 at a fee of €40,000 (AU$66,900) and will commence stud duties in Australia in 2026 at a fee of $38,500 inc GST.
