Tattersalls Sale Topper Sir Delius Wins Underwood

Record-breaking Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale buy Sir Delius (GB) announced himself as a spring staying force with a win in the Sept. 19 Underwood Stakes (G1) at Caulfield, supplying Juddmonte Farms' stallion Frankel (GB) with his 40th group 1 winner in the process. It was a performance that confirmed the entire as a major player in both the Cox Plate (G1) and the Melbourne Cup (G1). Looking beaten when Buckaroo (GB) surged past him early in the straight, Sir Delius rallied under Craig Williams to claw back the margin and score, with outsider Golden Path (NZ) finishing in third. Sent out as the favorite, the win was his first group 1 triumph and the latest step on a journey that began in France and has been carefully mapped out by co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. "It's the most exciting thing I've seen in years," Waterhouse said after claiming her third Underwood in four years, following Alligator Blood's back-to-back successes in 2022 and 2023. "He was not in a good position throughout the race. He was trying, trying (to get a position) and when he came around the home straight, he wasn't any good thing, but then all of a sudden he saw the winning post, and he took off. He was just fabulous." Raced as Delius in Europe, the 4-year-old son of Frankel was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for Coolmore and proved his quality with three wins, including the Prix du Lys (G3). He also finished third in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) and second in the Prix Niel (G2) before tackling the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) last October, in which he wasn't disgraced when finishing eighth behind Bluestocking (GB). When offered at the 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, he topped the auction at a record 1,300,000gns. Waterhouse and Bott, alongside Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock, Hubie De Burgh. and Johnny McKeever, signed the ticket, eclipsing the previous sale record of 1,000,000gns. Waterhouse, who trained Fiorente to Melbourne Cup glory in 2013, has plotted a near-identical path for Sir Delius. Next stop is the Might And Power (G1) at Caulfield Oct. 11, followed by the Cox Plate at The Valley Oct. 25, before the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Nov. 4. "They are both very similar, both are very handsome horses," Waterhouse said of the comparison. "They have fabulous attitudes, like a will to win. They're a pleasure to ride, they're big-striding horses and just know where the winning post is." The trainer acknowledged that it was her co-trainer who insisted the Underwood was the right race after a narrow second in the Chelmsford Stakes (G2) last time out. "It was Adrian's decision to send him to Melbourne," she said. "And it was the right one." Bred by David and Trish Brown of Furnace Mill Stud, Sir Delius is out of Whatami, making him a brother to Wolferton Stakes victor Juan Elcano, while he is a half brother to the group 3-winning Nkosikazi. Waterhouse and Bott are now firmly focused on keeping Sir Delius sound and peaking for November's first Tuesday. Striking his fifth career win from nine starts, the performance also tightened the colt's grip on Melbourne Cup betting, where he now shares favoritism with Al Riffa (GB). "We've got a great horse, it's (the Melbourne Cup) a great race, it's got the world talking," Waterhouse said. Calyx sires first Group 1 winner as Sepals takes the Sir Rupert Clarke Calyx, who died earlier in the year, sired his first group 1 winner when the Cliff Brown-trained Sepals (AUS) landed the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) at Caulfield. Sepals—who was lining up for just his seventh start off the back of a brilliant first-up win over course and distance last month—was strong to line, holding off the challenge of Miss Roumbini (AUS) to score by three-quarters of a length, with Australian Guineas (G1) winner Feroce (AUS) finishing a solid third. Sepals has a nomination in this year's Epsom Handicap (G1), but Brown said there are no plans in store as to where the gelding would head next. Bred by Greg Perry, Sepals was purchased for AU$80,000 by his trainer at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He is the first foal and first winner out of Casino Prince mare What's New, who was prepared by Brown to become Singapore's champion 4-year-old and older female in 2019. Calyx, a Juddmonte Farms-bred son of Kingman (GB), shuttled to Australia for two seasons, covering 69 mares at a fee of AU$17,600 in 2020 and 55 mares at AU$13,750 the following year.