Delacroix (foaled April 2, 2022), is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and active breeding stallion. He placed second in his debut race at Leopardstown Racecourse, and he alternated between first and second place finished in his other four races of 2025, including one graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 Autumn Stakes. He started the following year with two consecutive victories in the Ballysax Stakes and the Leopardstown Derby Trial, both Grade 3 races, before a poor showing at the Epsom Derby where he placed ninth. Delacroix bounced back with a strong performance at the Coral Eclipse, where he narrowly overtook the leader, Ombudsman, in a last second victory for his first Grade 1 victory. In a rematch against Ombudsman at the International Stakes Delacroix suffered a length loss, but he would quickly regain his form under a month later at the Irish Champion Stakes, securing his second Grade 1 victory. Delacroix's final race of his 2025 season took place in Ascot, where he placed fourth in the Champion Stakes against the likes of Calandagan and Ombudsman. After the race, it was announced that Delacroix would be retired to stand as a sire at Coolmore Stud in 2026, with his standing fee set to be €40,000 while in Ireland, and A$38,500 after plans to move him to Australia later in the year.
Background Delacroix was bred by the Tepin Syndicate, a branch of Coolmore Studs, which was founded after the US champion mare Tepin was purchased by Michael Magnier for $8 million. Tepin's most famous achievements include her Breeders' Cup Mile victory, as well being named the American Champion Female Turf Horse in 2015 and 2016. Delacroix was the last of four foals by Tepin before she passed away on October 5, 2024 at the age of 12. Delacroix's sire, Dubawi, is also a champion racehorse with multiple Grade 1 victories. In addition to being a successful racer, Dubawi is also a prolific stallion, having sired several notable racehorses including Notable Speech and Rebel's Romance.
Delacroix is under joint ownership with partners Derrick Smith, Mrs. John (Susan) Magnier, and billionaire Michael Tabor. The three are each partners in Coolmore Stud, an enterprise founded by Susan Magnier's husband, John Magnier. Among the notable horses that have stood as stallions for Coolmore include Storm Bird, Giant's Causeway, and American Pharoah, who is currently standing at Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan.
Racing career
2024: Two-year-old season Delacroix made his debut at a Maiden race at Leopardstown Racecourse on July 25 over a distance of 1600 meters with Ryan Moore as jockey. He stayed in the middle of the field for much of the race before beginning his acceleration at the final furlong, but he was unable to catch the leader, Green Impact, and finished the race in second. Less than a month later on August 10, Delacroix raced again, this time at Curragh Racecourse over a shorter distance of 1400 meters. Unlike his previous start, Delacroix led the race the entire time, and finished first a comfortable lengths ahead of second.
For his first start in a graded stakes race, Delacroix entered the Grade 2 Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on September 14. The Juvenile Stakes featured a small field of four runners, among whom was Green Impact. For most of the race Delacroix trailed behind Green Impact in third position, but he struggled to catch up to the two leaders in the final stretch, and Delacroix barely overtook Bernard Shaw in the final seconds of the race, once again placing second behind Green Impact. On October 12, Delacroix ran in the Grade 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. Much like his second race, Delacroix stayed close to the front of the pack throughout the race, and in the final two furlongs he was locked in a tight battle for first with Stanhope Gardens, where Delacroix narrowly won by his neck successfully earning him his first graded stakes victory.
Statistics DateDistanceRaceGradeCourseFieldFinishWinning TimeWinning (Losing) MarginWinner (2nd Place)JockeyRef2024 – Two-year-old seasonJuly 251600mMaiden raceLeopardstown82nd1:43.70( lengths)Green ImpactRyan MooreAugust 101400mMaiden RaceCurragh131st1:25.42 lengths(Acapulco Bay)Ryan MooreSeptember 141600mJuvenile StakesG2Leopardstown42nd1:39.50( length)Green ImpactRyan MooreOctober 121600mAutumn StakesG3Newmarket61st1:40:49neck(Stanhope Gardens)Ryan MooreOctober 261600mFuturity TrophyG1Doncaster82nd1:41.95(nose)HotazhellRyan Moore2025 – Three-year-old seasonMarch 302000mBallysax StakesG3Leopardstown71st2:06.10 lengths(Lambourn)Ryan MooreMay 112000mDerby TrialG3Leopardstown51st2:10:50 lengthsPurviewWayne LordanJune 72400mEpsom DerbyG1Epsom Downs189th2:38:50(15 lengths)LambournRyan MooreJuly 52000mCoral EclipseG1Sandown Park61st2:05.92neck(Ombudsman)Ryan MooreAugust 202050mInternational StakesG1York62nd2:07.90( lengths)OmbudsmanWilliam BuickSeptember 132000mIrish Champion StakesG1Leopardstown81st2:04.60 length(Anmaat)Christophe SoumillonOctober 182000mChampion StakesG1Ascot114th2:03.194 lengthsCalandaganChristophe Soumillon
Pedigree
References