Aidan O'Brien maps next steps for Delacroix after Eclipse victory There has been no better trainer at getting horses to bounce back from disappointing efforts than Aidan O’Brien in the last few seasons. The likes of City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin flopped in the Guineas before getting back on track in the Derby. Delacroix was well below par in the Derby last month, but it was a very different story in the Eclipse on Saturday. Ryan Moore delivered the son of Dubawi with a late run to land the big race at the expense of Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Ombudsman. This success has opened many doors for the three-year-old so we’re going to take a look at some potential future targets. Midnite Betting Offer If you already have a Midnite account, check out more of the best betting sites and online casinos How the race unfolded It may have been a minor miracle that Delacroix managed to come out on top as pretty much nothing went right for him during the race. The initial plan was to make the running but others had a different idea so he was then dropped in. That didn’t go smoothly, however, as he didn’t get a clear run three furlongs out, he received a bump and also stumbled. O’Brien’s colt showed an electric turn of foot once a gap opened and he ran on well to take the lead in the final strides. What’s next? Jockey Ryan Moore has suggested that winning a Group 1 over a mile wouldn’t be beyond him and has always been impressed by his turn of foot. It seems that O’Brien is keen to stick to 1m2f however, especially after his poor performance in the Derby over two furlongs further. You can certainly see why as he’s unbeaten in three starts over 1m2f, having won two Group 3 Derby trials in very good style at Leopardstown before his Eclipse success. He is set to take on this year’s outstanding three-year-old Field Of Gold in the Juddmonte International. York’s showpiece takes place on August 20th, during their Ebor Festival, and the big clash is a tantalising prospect. John & Thady Gosden are keen to step the Juddmonte-owned colt up in trip and he hits the line so well over a mile that the extra distance could even improve him. Beyond York he has the potential options of the Irish Champion Stakes and of course Ascot’s Champion Stakes. A tilt at the Arc seems unlikely from what the trainer has said but there are many more opportunities open to Delacroix. What the trainer and jockey said Aidan O’Brien is also forthcoming with plans and he said: "He has the choice of the Juddmonte or the Irish Champion Stakes next, or maybe even both. "Those are the two races we have in mind for him now. Ryan always said he had a lot of pace and he would be happy to go back to a mile with him." Ryan Moore is a man of few words and he kept it short and sweet, he stated: "He's a really good horse with an exceptional turn of foot." That turn of foot is an excellent quality to have in these top Group 1 races and Delacroix is currently 9/2 for York’s main event.
