SIR DELIUS LOOKS THE REAL DEAL

By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 4, 2025

Twelve months ago, Sir Delius was being prepared for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. (This year’s edition of the race takes place on Sunday).

Now he is strutting his stuff in Australia on a Cox Plate / Melbourne Cup path.

The son of the mighty Frankel will race again before taking on those two massive assignments though when lining up in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on Saturday where he will come up against, amongst others, the ten-time Group 1 winner Via Sistina in a mouthwatering clash which really will only serve as an entrée to the main event which has yet to come.

Sir Delius’s career to date falls into two distinct parts, and he has carried himself with distinction in both segments.

He raced six times in France for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget winning half of those races with the Arc being the only race in which he finished unplaced. During that time, he won at Group 3 level and finished runner-up in both a Group 2 and a Group 1 contest … all over 2400m, results which clearly underlined his staying prowess.

Purchased with the Melbourne Cup in mind, Sir Delius has done nothing in the three races he has contested since relocating to Australia to put even a slight dent in the belief that he is a real Melbourne Cup contender.

You couldn’t get the smile off co-trainer Adrian Bott’s face when Sir Delius romped home on his Australian debut when saluting in the Group 3 Chairman’s over 2000m at Doomben in May.

The Waterhouse / Bott team had been meticulous in preparing Sir Delius for that run … it came after three barrier trials, two of which Sir Delius won … and the result gave the perfect ‘sighter’ as just where Sir Delius stood after changing continents.

It ticked the Melbourne Cup box, added strength to the Melbourne Cup belief, and Sir Delius was immediately put away for the Spring.

The Turnbull on Saturday will be Sir Delius’ third run since he resumed following a three-and-a-half-month break from race action after his success at Doomben.

He finished second first-up in the Group 2 Chelmsford over 1600m … then stepped up both the distance test and the result when claiming his first career Group 1 win in the Underwood over 1800m.

Those results showed that things are very much on the right track for Sir Delius. The 2000m of the Turnbull should will him even better and the team are certainly not shying away from any test of strength taking on the likes of, amongst others, Via Sistina and Half Yours.

After Saturday, Sir Delius will move on to the Cox Plate … then his Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup. So far, then plan has progressed smoothly, and, for Sr Delius’s connections, their Melbourne Cup dream is getting almost close enough to touch.

Exciting times.

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