Delacroix with Moore after their Coral-Eclipse win

Saturday analysis: Speed wins as Delacroix beats Ombudsman in fascinating Coral-Eclipse

By Ben Linfoot

Horse Racing

Sun July 06, 2025 · 2w ago

Our Ben Linfoot reflects on a remarkable Coral-Eclipse victory for Delacroix and picks out a horse that has the speed to have a say in some top-quality five-furlong sprints.

Test of speed suited Delacroix

It looked for all money like 6/4 favourite Ombudsman would win the Coral-Eclipse despite it being a relative test of speed at the trip after they went slow early on at Sandown on Saturday.

It looked for all money like the 17-day turnaround from Royal Ascot wouldn’t matter as William Buick hit the front after racing more prominently on the son of Night Of Thunder – wise not to give Sosie positional advantage.

But when it comes to racing and it comes to the money, you can never rule out Aidan O’Brien and up the famous Sandown hill more drama ensued as his main man Ryan Moore conjured a remarkable late run out of Delacroix.

This was the fourth time in five years O’Brien and Moore had teamed up with a three-year-old colt to win the Eclipse, but all of those previous winners had the race won at least a furlong from home.

At that stage Delacroix was still last of the six, beginning his challenge, yes, but still last. He hadn’t looked an easy ride for Moore up to that point, running in snatches, his jockey almost unbalanced as he looked for room peeling off the rail.

But once he was pulled away from the main pack in clear daylight he took off, his turn of pace seeing him charge from last to first to mug Ombudsman on the line as he took full advantage of the 10lb weight-for-age allowance he received form the older horse.

A brilliant, remarkable, race and the first two home can both take the positives from this.

Delacroix looks to have inherited plenty of gears from his dam, Tepin, who was a multiple Group 1-winning miler. Those gears can be vital weaponry in small-field tactical races like this one and he’s bounced back from his Derby whimper in the best possible way.

He can be a threat over 10 furlongs again but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him dropped to a mile as the summer turns into autumn.

As for Ombudsman he has lost very little in defeat. He almost added an Eclipse to his Prince Of Wales’s victory despite things going against him and he’s going to be a major force in all the big mile-and-a-quarter races between now and the end of the campaign.

Rushed up early to dispute the lead, Buick then took him back as it looked like there might be a good gallop on after all only for Sosie to slow things down up front.

That saw Buick nudge Ombudsman back up into third out wide on the outside and two from home he charged to the front, quickly seeing off Sosie and then the challenge of Camille Pissarro.

Perhaps he hit the front too soon, but what choice did Buick have? He had to try and take the race by the scruff of the neck there and while Delacroix wet-sailed him, giving Ombudsman no time to respond, the last-furlong drama was a product of the messy earlier fractions.

Hopefully the first two in the Eclipse will do battle again. It could be a compelling mini-series and one the Gosdens won’t shy away from, you wouldn't think.

The Juddmonte International could be next for both, but the Gosdens have a certain Field Of Gold for that, too.

It will be interesting to see who goes where – and maybe they’ll all run – but if Ombudsman goes to the Knavesmire the extended 10 furlongs and the long straight should suit him well - especially if there’s a proper gallop on.

Full report as Delacroix wins the Coral-Eclipse

She’s electric and of interest on speed tracks

She’s Quality finished second for the third successive race in the opening Group 3 Coral Charge but she’s not ungenuine and was just found out by a stronger finisher on the stiff sprint track at Sandown.

Indeed, Rumstar did to her at Sandown what he did to her in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the season, resulting in an identical straight-forecast, as he bounced back from a couple of below-par runs at Haydock and Ascot.

He did well to reel her in under his Palace House penalty, but you can’t help but feel sorry for She’s Quality who showed brazen speed to set the fractions out in front while her conqueror got loads of cover in the rear of the field.

Jack Davison’s four-year-old filly set things up for Rumstar here, but she deserves a lot of credit for beating the rest of the field the hard way and she would have to be of interest on a track that rewards pure pace like hers.

As luck would have it there are a few options coming up; the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on August 1 and then the Group 1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 22.

Both of those sprint tracks often reward early pace, especially when the ground is riding fast, and while She’s Quality will have to nudge back up in grade with another ‘2’ next to her name she’s thriving and has the right attributes for those tests.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?