Ireland: Coolmore, O’Brien pick up two Group 1 wins

On both sides of the Irish Sea on Saturday, the well-backed colts Delacroix and Scandinavia gave the Coolmore syndicate and trainer Aidan O’Brien Group 1 wins with implications for major stakes later this year.

Delacroix earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1 with a win in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown Racecourse. Delacroix, however, has been mentioned as a candidate for the Group 1 Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Ascot Racecourse in Britain on Oct. 18.

In the $1.46 million Irish Champion Stakes, Delacroix, who paid $4.30 as the favorite in American pools, stalked stablemate Mount Kilimanjaro before taking the lead with a quarter-mile remaining.

Delacroix, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, was tested in the final furlong by 4-1 Anmaat, who finished second by three-quarters of a length. Royal Champion (20-1) finished third by three lengths in a field of eight.

The Irish Champion Stakes was Delacroix’s sixth win in 11 starts and his second in a Group 1 at 1 1/4 miles this year; Delacroix was also O'Brien's 13th Irish Champion winner. An Irish-bred colt by Dubawi, Delacroix won the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Sandown Racecourse near London in July.

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Delacroix is out of Tepin, the champion turf female in the United States in 2015 and 2016.

Scandinavia won the Group 1 English St. Leger at 1 3/4 miles at Doncaster Racecourse in what may have been a prep race for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia on Nov. 4, O’Brien said.

Ridden by Tom Marquand, Scandinavia held an early lead, and tracked stablemate Lambourn before retaking the lead with more than a quarter-mile remaining. Scandinavia, who paid $4.80 as the favorite in American pools, was challenged in the final strides by 14-1 Rahiebb before prevailing by a neck. The O’Brien-trained Stay True (5-1) finished third in the field of seven.

Scandinavia won his third consecutive group stakes in the $949,000 St. Leger, a streak that includes the Group 1 Goodwood Cup at two miles at Goodwood Racecourse in Britain on July 29.

A Kentucky-bred by Justify, Scandinavia has won 4 of 8 starts.

Earlier on the Leopardstown program, Fallen Angel ($4.80) recorded a hard-earned victory in the Group 1 Matron Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. Ridden by James Doyle, Fallen Angel was always near the front and was fully extended in the final furlong to hold off the O’Brien-trained Exactly, who finished second by three-quarters of a length as the 3-1 second choice. Atsila (36-1) was a surprise third, beaten 1 ¼ lengths.

Fallen Angel, a 4-year-old British-bred filly by Too Darn Hot, has won 6 of 12 starts. The $469,000 Matron Stakes was Fallen Angel’s fourth Group 1 win and second consecutive victory at the highest level. Trained in Britain by Karl Burke, Fallen Angel won the Group 1 Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares at a mile at Deauville, France, on Aug. 3.

With the win in the Matron, Fallen Angel earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1, but Burke told the press that the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse in Britain on Oct. 4 is the next objective.

The leading race for 2-year-olds on the Leopardstown program went to the O’Brien-trained Benvenuto Cellini, who beat three rivals to record his first stakes win in the Group 2 Juvenile Stakes at a mile. The win gave Benvenuto Cellini a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Aug. 31, although O’Brien mentioned races in Europe in October as more likely objectives.

Ridden by Soumillon, Benvenuto Cellini ($2.90) stalked 2-1 Hardy Warrior before taking the lead with a quarter-mile remaining. Benvenuto Cellini won by five lengths over Hardy Warrior. Benvenuto Cellini lost his leading rival earlier in the Juvenile in the day when the O’Brien-trained Montreal was withdrawn on veterinarian advice.

With the win, Benvenuto Cellini became the future-book favorite for the English Derby next June, at prices ranging from 8-1 to 12-1 with bookmakers.

Owned by the Coolmore syndicate and Georg von Opel, Benvenuto Cellini is an Irish-bred colt by Frankel out of Newspaperofrecord, the winner of the 2018 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park in 2020 for trainer Chad Brown.

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