Delacroix may bounce back in Coral-Eclipse at Sandown

Timeform’s man at the track David Cleary is willing to give a couple of Derby also-rans and a filly from the Oaks another chance to prove themselves.

DELACROIX – 1½m 3yo no geldings Group 1 Derby, Epsom, 07/06/25

‘Worth another chance’ can often be a costly conclusion so far as racehorse performances are concerned, but there is no doubt that they are the right words to apply to Delacroix’s performance in the Derby. He had a race to forget, put off his stride when hampered in the early stages and never really looking that comfortable afterwards.

Delacroix was sent off a warm favourite, the form pick in the absence of the Guineas winner Ruling Court. And although he couldn’t show it, the result franked his form. He had beaten the Derby hero Lambourn in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his reappearance, while the third Tennessee Stud had been the best part of seven lengths behind him in the Derby Trial there on his following start.

As might be expected, Delacroix has a plethora of entries in good races, though principally in ones over short of a mile and a half. He’s not especially stoutly bred – in contrast to Lambourn – and with a lot of depth at a mile and a half plus in the Ballydoyle armoury, it would be no surprise to see Delacroix aimed at the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes. He’s well worth giving another chance to at the highest level this summer.

FORMAL – 7f 3yo listed, Epsom, 06/06/25

The Surrey Stakes tends not to be a race of great consequence – not since Space Blues in 2019 had it been won by a runner that went on to make an impact at a higher level. However, there’s a chance that this year’s victor Formal could buck that trend. She got firmly back on track in running out a convincing winner after going through the race with plenty of zest.

Formal had looked a good prospect in winning her first two starts last year, then seemed found out by the track at Newmarket in the Rockfel. She was carrying condition on her reappearance (first start for Andrew Balding) when well held in the Fred Darling, but looked a good deal sharper at Epsom, which showed in her performance.

Formal has raced exclusively at seven furlongs to date, so something like the Oak Tree Stakes might be the next step up, though she is bred to stay a mile. She has a superb pedigree, a daughter of Dubawi out of the Frankel mare Veracious, who won the Falmouth Stakes. Formal isn’t the biggest, but she’s bred to be smart and she seems sure to step up further on what she did at Epsom.

JAN BRUEGHEL – 1½m 4yo+ Group 1 Coronation Cup, Epsom, 06/06/25

The enforced retirement of Kyprios following a set-back, led to a shuffling of the pack for the Ballydoyle team, so far as its older colts are concerned. The Ormonde Stakes winner Illinois is due to stand in for Kyprios in the Gold Cup, which left Coronation Cup duties to be taken up by the St Leger winner Jan Brueghel. He took his chance in fine style, showing significant improvement in seeing off the challenge of the favourite Calandagan, the pair pulling well clear.

Jan Brueghel’s attitude had been questioned on his return at the Curragh and he sweated up both there and at the start at Epsom. However, he found plenty when required in seeing off the favourite, for all that his head carriage is not the most elegant. His reappearance had come over a mile and a quarter, which is surely an inadequate trip.

Given the depth of talent his stable has for the top middle-distance races, it isn’t clear where Jan Brueghel will go next. He was probably a little way down the pecking order prior to this, but this success should gain him more notice. The King George at Ascot might well be a good option as his main summer target.

REVOIR – 1½m 3yo fillies Group 1 Oaks, Epsom, 06/06/25

The Oaks came soon enough for Revoir, having just her third start and the joint least experienced in the field. She had still looked green when second to Qilin Queen in listed company at Newbury in mid-May and there will still traces of inexperience in her effort in the classic.

Revoir turned the tables on Qilin Queen, but she wasn’t able to land a blow as the Ballydoyle pair Minnie Hauk and Whirl dominated the finish. In what was a difficult race in which to come from off the pace, Revoir made good headway halfway up the straight before her effort petered out late on. Revoir still emerged with plenty of credit in finishing sixth.

Although she’s bred to stay a mile and a half, it’s possible she didn’t quite last home – her dam Regardez was found wanting for stamina in her Oaks bid in her racing days. Revoir ought to be good enough to win at listed or Group 3 level and with experience under her belt, she might make an impact at a higher level still.

RISING EMPIRE – 6f 2yo conditions race, Epsom, 06/06/25

Epsom can be a tricky track for a horse with plenty of experience, so it’s no surprise that two year olds with only a run or two under their belt find the helter-skelter over six furlongs all a bit much. That was certainly the case with Rising Empire in the Woodcote, run off his feet early and well back at halfway, his rider Oisin Murphy not hard on him once it was clear he wouldn’t get involved.

Rising Empire was still keeping on in the closing stages and remains with potential. He had shown plenty on his first two starts, winning at Windsor second time up, both races having worked out well. He showed signs beforehand that the build-up was getting to him a little, but that didn’t appear to impact his effort.

Rising Empire has a pedigree of contrasts. There is speed on his dam’s side, but he is from the first crop of Bangkok, who didn’t win at two. All Bangkok’s wins came at around a mile and a quarter, but he’s a son of Australia with eight winning siblings who all stayed at least eleven and a half furlongs. It would be no surprise to see Rising Empire benefit from going up in trip.

SKELLET – 1m 113yds 3yo+ fillies and mares Group 3, Epsom, 07/06/25

Skellet was a well-backed favourite for the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and failed to come up to expectations. However, it’s worth giving her the benefit of the doubt, both her absence since last autumn and the track factors in her performing below par. She has done well physically since last year and her overall record suggests she hasn’t fully shown all that she’s capable of.

Despite getting cover from the stalls, the patiently-ridden Skellet failed to settle for the first half of the race; when she made her effort over two furlongs out, she didn’t really handle the camber and then faded in the final furlong, never having reached the leader.

Skellet was having her eighth run of her career at Epsom. Two of her four starts at three came in the Irish Guineas and the Coronation Stakes, which was flying a bit too high. She was just edged out in a Group 3 for fillies at Chantilly later in the summer, then narrowly won a listed race at Sandown against males.Skellet ought to be well up to winning at listed or Group 3 level with a run under her belt.

STANHOPE GARDENS – 1½m 3yo no geldings Group 1 Derby, Epsom, 07/06/25

Stanhope Gardens wasn’t his stable’s first string in the Derby, but he fared much better than the well-fancied Pride of Arras, run out of third only near the line. This was an effort on a par with the best of his previous form and he left the impression there is still more to come.

Stanhope Gardens looked to have done well since last year. He’d been kept low key on his return, taking in a one-mile minor event at Salisbury rather than a traditional Derby trial. The Derby represented both a significant step up in class and distance. He acquitted himself well on both scores. He did well to make the ground he did after finding some trouble early in the straight, the effort rather than lack of stamina just telling late on.

Stanhope Garden is well entered up, holding entries in the Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes. He is very likely to be as effective at a mile and a quarter as at a mile and a half. However, he might benefit from a slightly more cautious campaign through the summer, before being asked to tackle the top level again.

Update

Not many of those mentioned in previous columns have been out in the last couple of weeks. The standout effort came from Sardinian Warrior who finished clear of the rest when second to Sosie in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp. This was a cracking effort against a bona fide Group 1 performer, tackling this level for the first time. Sardinian Warrior has been left in the Queen Anne and wouldn’t be out of place if taking his chance.

His stable-companion El Budoor picked up a win at a lower level on her second start, after her promising debut at Ascot. She was successful over a mile and a quarter on the all-weather at Lingfield, before finding the step up to listed company and soft ground all too much at Goodwood last weekend.

The two-year-old Sweet Lord has made a couple of starts since he was noted on debut. He hasn’t yet built as expected on that effort. He was still green at Haydock at the end of last month and then faded out of things at Salisbury earlier in the week.

He’s likely to be worth one chance in a nursery, perhaps given a break before that. His pedigree is that of one that should be suited by seven furlongs or more.

Another two year old mentioned previously, Sioux Perfect, is due to have his third run at Goodwood on Friday. It’s also interesting to note that Wise Approach has been entered for the Coventry, despite his reverse at York. He’s one of two entries in the race for the Charlie Appleby yard, the other the unbeaten Military Code.

Delacroix may bounce back in Coral-Eclipse at Sandown

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