Its Delacroix as the $4 race favourite with Australian wagering agencies who heads the Coolmore, Aiden O’Brien and Ryan Moore challenge for another consecutive Betfred Derby.
Following the path of City Of Troy who took out last year’s Derby and went to be the 2024 World’s Best Racehorse, and Auguste Rodin to be the World’s Best for 2023, so what now for Delacroix.
Will we see Delacroix as the World’s Best Racehorse for 2025 shuttling to Coolmore Australia or Windsor Park Stud, with news that both City of Troy and Auguste Rodin are oversubscribed.
Not disadvantaged that he has not contested a Group 1 event, Delacroix is certainly Derby ready in winning both starts over 1m2f, in the Group 3 Leopardstown Derby Trial and Ballysax Stakes.
Now the winner of 4 of his 7 starts, Delacroix culminated his 2yo juvenile season with a nose second to Hotazhell in Futurity Trophy, having defeated Stanhope Gardens in the Autumn Stakes.
Again with Ryan Moore in the saddle, and drawing Barrier 14 of the 19 runners, he races in the purple and white silks of Derek Smith for Coolmore, and was bred Ireland by the Tepin Syndicate.
From a family Group 1 winners, he’s a full-brother to Group 1 juvenile Grateful, also by Dubawi, from the twice US Champion Turf Mare in Tepin, a 5-times Group 1 winner of the BC Turf Mile.
However by comparison, last year City of Troy scored a 2¾ length victory in the Betfred Derby to open with a WBR Ranking of 123, then to claim Eclipse Stakes and Juddmonte International.
Crowned the World’s Best Racehorse of 2024 with a 127 Ranking. and as both European Champion 2YO and 3YO Colt, the 4-times Group 1 winner was rated 125 in winning the Dewhurst Stakes.
Always ridden by Ryan Moore, he’s by the successful young international sire Justify, from Group 1 winner Together Forever, a sister to Oaks winner Forever Together and sire Lord Shanakill.
And with Auguste Rodin clocking 41.9mph, 10.73sec, for the final 2 furlongs of the Epsom Derby, the fastest since Nijinsky in 1970, he was the Champion English and Irish 3YO Colt for 2023.
In being awarded a 124 World’s Best Racehorse Ranking for the 10.5f – 13.5 f Turf Long category, he also won the Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar.
A Group 1 winner at 2, 3 and 4 years, he took out the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot as a 4yo, while as a juvenile he won three-from-four starts including the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Also in the Derby, Aiden O’Brien has The Lion of Winter at $9.50 with Colin Keane jumping from Gate 19, having been sixth in the Dante Stakes and won twice as a 2yo including the Ascom Stakes.
A €375,000 graduate of the 2023 Goffs Orby Sale Book 1, he’s by the highly rated Derby sire Sea The Stars, the family of Champion European Stayer in Harbour Law, Miss Keller, Inchinor, Incheri.
At $13 for Coolmore and Aiden O’Brien is the Chester Vase winner Lambourn, who being second in the Ballysax Stakes was a Listed winner at two, and will be ridden by Wayne Lordan from 10.
Home-bred by Coolmore, and by dual Derby winner Australia, he’s from the Group 2 placed winning Scat Daddy mare Lavendar Baby, the immediate family of Baby J and Laureate Conductor.
As this Betfred Derby is run in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV, and staged over 1m4f for 3yo colts and fillies, the Aga Khan Studs have Midak at $17 for Mickael Barzalona and Francis Graffard.
Also for the Aga Khan Studs their 4yo gelding Calandagan is the $1.60 betting favourite for the Betfred Coronation Cup, run on Friday’s Betfred Oaks Day, and again for trainer Francis Graffard and Mickael Barzalona, with Graffard stating that its ‘damaging to the sport’ that geldings are not allowed run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
