Aidan O’Brien could target Irish Champion Stakes compensation with Delacroix after he came off second best in his rematch with Ombudsman in the Juddmonte International at York.
The Ballydoyle runner bounced back from Derby disappointment to win a pulsating renewal of the Eclipse in early July, coming from an unpromising position to somehow grab victory from the jaws of defeat at the chief expense of Prince of Wales’s Stakes victor Ombudsman in a Sandown thriller.
The latter was the 7-4 favourite to gain his revenge in what turned out to be an even more fascinating affair on the Knavesmire, with Ombudsman’s pacemaker Birr Castle slipping the field and building up a huge lead over the chasing pack.
The big two eventually wore him down, but it was John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman who was three and a half lengths clear at the line, with Delacroix only beating 150-1 shot Birr Castle to the runner-up spot by half a length.
O’Brien said: “It was just a mess really wasn’t it? We had discussed before the race that if the pacemaker went and nobody followed him we would follow him, so obviously when they jumped out Ryan (Moore) thought they were going to follow the pacemaker but made the decision to sit in.
“Obviously when he sat in they just kept going slower and slower and slower and he was in a pocket and that was it, it was finished. It was over really as all they have done is sprint down the straight and the rest is history.
“Our horses usually like high-tempo races, but this was the way this time and John’s horse won and it was what he wanted. He got the result and we didn’t today.”
Delacroix’s defeat rounded off a disappointing day for O’Brien, having seen his dual Derby hero Lambourn finish only fifth in the preceding Great Voltigeur Stakes.
He added: “It happens every day of the week and it will happen again. Remember, you learn more from losing than winning.
“We learnt if he’s well we will go back to Leopardstown with Delacroix and hopefully this won’t happen again.
“This horse doesn’t mind making the running and has won from the front, so he would be very happy doing that.”
Andrew Balding’s high-class mare See The Fire finished fourth, with Japanese raider Danon Decile – making his first appearance since beating last month’s King George hero Calandagan in the Dubai Sheema Classic in April – ultimately disappointing in fifth.
Trainer Shogo Yasuda said: “We couldn’t show his real ability, but this experience will be great for the future. I’m sorry we couldn’t show his true ability.
“We may have got it wrong, but we got great support and we want to thank them for that. Especially James Horton (who has had the horse stabled at his yard) and many other people who were really important for helping us while we were here.
“It was really unfortunate we couldn’t show himself at his best for everyone.”
Last of all in sixth was Francis-Henri Graffard’s previously unbeaten French challenger Daryz.
There was some confusion as to whether the three-year-old’s rider Mickael Barzalona had weighed in afterwards, prompting an objection from the clerk of the scales, but it was eventually confirmed he had and the result stood.
Graffard said: “He lacked experience during the race. He was racing strongly on the bridle and looking at everything. He picked up really nicely but then just got tired late on.
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