On a weekend where world #1 trainer Aidan O’Brien scooped the major prizes on both sides of the Irish Sea, the star turn was provided by Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
The three-year-old son of Dubawi lit up Day One of the Irish Champions Weekend with a decisive victory to claim Ireland’s premier race – in the process ciimbing to #13 (from #28, +155pt) on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s exclusive Global Rankings as he provided his trainer with a record-extending 13th success.
Delacroix put the race to be with an impressive turn of foot two furlongs out under supersub jockey Christophe Soumillon (#28 from #32, +25pt) before holding Anmaat by three-quarters of a length.
“Delacroix is an incredible horse and Christophe gave him an incredible ride,” said Aidan O’Brien (stays at #1, +39pt). “It was off a strong pace today and was always going to be an even run race, but when he said ‘go’ on him, it was over really. I haven't seen a horse do that before. We saw him quicken like that at Sandown and what he did was very unusual; he did it again today.”
As is sometimes the case with O’Brien’s stars in recent seasons, Delacroix’s CV is not without a blemish – notably when he failed to deliver any sort of blow as 2-1 favourite in the Epsom Derby, where he was ninth. He hasn’t done a whole heap wrong since, however, although Ombudsman showed him the time of day in last month’s Juddmonte International.
Meanwhile, O’Brien was in his usual dominant mood at Doncaster, where Goodwood Cup winner Scandinavia (#28 from #51, +83pt) recorded a hard-fought win over Rahiebb to claim the final British Classic of the season.
With Ryan Moore out for the season – though he’s doubtless have been in Ireland anyway – and Wayne Lordan suspended, the excellent Tom Marquand (#43 from #48, +31pt) came in for the ride. O’Brien horses also came third and fourth in the seven-runner field; that fourth-placed horse was dual Derby winner Lambourn (#43 from #32, -35pt).
Veterinary protocols allowing, Scandinavia may be sent to the Melbourne Cup – a race that is definitely the target for Al Riffa (#34 from #82, +163pt) after a four-length victory in the Irish St Leger on Sunday [Sept 14] at the Curragh. (Please note: Ireland’s St Leger is open to older horses, whereas the original version at Doncaster is still restricted to the Classic generation, with no geldings.)
Five-year-old Al Riffa has been well suited by the step up in distance and is now a three-time G1 winner. He was made 6-1 favourite (from 12) for the Melbourne Cup by bookmakers Paddy Power; trainer Joseph O’Brien has won the race twice already.
Leading filly Fallen Angel (#22 from #68, +182pt) showed tremendous grit for he fourth G1 success (three in Ireland) in the Matron Stakes on Saturday’s card at Leopardstown. Give her a bit of rain, and she is tough to beat.
We’re getting into the guts of the Australian season now and Mr Brightside (#18 from #36, +127pt) stole the headlines as the evergreen gelding completed a hat-trick in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
Back in third place was Via Sistina (stays at #5, -29pt), suffering her first defeat in five G1 starts since February. Mind you, the same thing happened in last year’s race, after which the mare went on a winning spree.
For his part, eight-year-old Mr Brightside has now won ten G1s in a total of 20 career successes. “To win three Makybe Diva's and make it ten Group 1s, he's an amazing horse and we're so lucky to have him,” said co-traine Ben Hayes.
Elsewhere on the horse racing planet, Notable Speech (#29 from #85, +183pt) did not need to improve one iota to justify odds-on favoritism in the Can$1m Woodbine Mile; the Breeders’ Cup Mile, in which he was third last year, will be his primary target.
Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) heroine Kamunyak (#37 from #98, +153pt) reappeared for the autumn with a G2 win at Hanshin.
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• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.