Delacroix Retired, Standing at Coolmore Stud in 2026

Multiple group 1 winner Delacroix (IRE) has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore Stud for the coming season, the farm announced Oct. 20. As a 2-year-old, the son of Dubawi (IRE) broke his maiden at the Curragh in August and became a group winner two starts later when landing the 2024 Autumn Stakes (G3) and then missed out on a group 1 success by a nose in the Futurity Trophy Stakes (G1). After wins in the Ballysax Stakes (G3) and Derby Trial Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown in the spring, Delacroix was sent off favorite for the Epsom Derby (G1). Things didn't go to plan at Epsom where he finished ninth, and he was dropped back in trip for the Eclipse (G1) at Sandown Park. Here he displayed a devastating turn of foot to defeat Ombudsman (IRE) from a seemingly impossible position. "What he did at Sandown, you don't see horses do that," his trainer Aidan O'Brien said. "I don't think I've ever seen a horse do what he did." That burst of acceleration was again seen to great effect in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), when Delacroix put the race to bed in a matter of strides, swooping to the front 2 furlongs from home. The Eclipse/Irish Champion Stakes double has previously been achieved by notable stallions like Sadler's Wells, Giant's Causeway, Sea The Stars (IRE), and St Mark's Basilica (FR). "Delacroix is a gorgeous horse, undoubtedly the best-looking son of Dubawi we've ever seen," Coolmore's David O'Loughlin said. "He's out of one of America's greatest race mares of recent times and was an exceptionally sound, tough and talented racehorse with a lethal turn of foot. Dubawi's sons like Night of Thunder, Too Darn Hot, Zarak, and New Bay are all excelling at stud and Delacroix was higher-rated and ran more times than any of them. His pedigree is free of Sadler's Wells, Galileo, Danehill, and Green Desert so he will be a very important outcross for Coolmore and many of our clients." Delacroix is out of $8 million mare purchase Tepin who was twice Eclipse champion grass mare in North America in 2015-16. In 23 starts she won 13 races including six at the highest level and defeated a top-class field in the 2016 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) over the straight mile at Royal Ascot. Tepin only had four foals before she died but two have scored at the highest level, the other being Grateful (IRE) (Galileo), a group 1 winner in France. A stud fee for Delacroix will be announced at a later date.