The best race of the year last year. Are we in for a repeat?

Only six runners, so what? With Japan, Ireland, France, and England all represented, it’s truly international, and we’re not short of class here.

This morning, Ombudsman 2/1 is slightly preferred over Delecroix 9/4 at the top of the market, with Danon Decile backed into 4/1. Sea The Fire trades at 7/1 with Daryz a 10/1 shot. Birr Castle is 80/1.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old, Delacroix, went off favourite for the Derby. He’d looked good in two previous outings, but he then ran a stinker at Epsom, beaten 16L by Lambourn. he then went to Sandown for the G1 Coral Eclipse over 1m2f.

Delacroix at Leopardstown last year

John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old Ombudsman was a really good winner of the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over 1m2f at Royal Ascot when beating Anmatt and Sea The Fire 2L and 4½L respectively. He’d then had a quick turnaround to Sandown, for the Eclipse, just 17 days.

When they met in the Eclipse, a neck was the difference between them, with Ryan Moore getting the better of William Buick. Having gathered his mount when plans A, B, C, and D all failed, he got up on the outside to win by a neck.

Japan’s Danon Decile isn’t here for the money; this is a fraction of what he could earn at home. He’s a four-year-old, trained by Shogo Yasuda, he’ll be ridden by Keita Tosaki. He won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year over 1m4f, but possibly didn’t stay when only sixth in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 1m7f. In December, he was beaten by only 1½L in the Arima Kinen, Japan’s most prestigious race, when returned to 1m4½f. In January, he then won a G2 at home over 1m3f, before, in March, taking the Dubai Sheema Classic, blitzing Caladagan, winning by 1¼ lengths, again over 1m4f. Hot form now. We won’t see him again until the Japan Cup in November.

Andrew Balding’s Sea The Fire with Oisin Murphy in the plate, the only mare in the field, a four-year-old, started her season with a very emphatic win in the Middleton here at York. After Ascot, she went to Goodwood for the Nassau Stakes, where everything went against her. Rain nearly stopped play, and after a flag start, where she was slowly away on heavy ground, she trailed in third behind Whirl, 6¼L adrift.

The French challenge comes from the Francois-Henri Gaffard trained Daryz. He’ll wear the Aga Khan silks under Mickael Barzalona. A three-year-old who only made his debut in March, he’s put together a four-time unbeaten sequence since, all over 1m2f, the last of which was the G2 Prix Eugene Adam.

Godolphin have supplemented Birr Castle also from France from the Andre Fabre yard. Rob Havlin will steer. He’s a five-year-old two-time Listed winner here expected to act as a pacemaker for Ombudsman.

The Verdict

There’s every chance we’ll get as good a race as we got last year. There’s a depth of quality and plenty of intrigue in the field here. The three-year-olds are getting weight for age allowance, 7 lbs from the older colts and 4 lbs from the mare.

The unbeaten Daryz is full of potential, something that was unlocked in Ombudsman when winning at Royal Ascot. Delacroix firmly put Epsom behind with a scintillating performance when getting up to win the Eclipse. Sea The Fire has the course form and also her ground. After the Sussex Stakes, can we assume that Birr Castle will fall away? He is, after all, trained by a master. Danon Decile is a very high-class Japanese horse; however, he hasn’t been campaigned over this 10f trip since winning a G3 eighteen months ago.

Plenty to consider here, Danon Decile will love the long straight here at York and could wind it up early; he’ll prove hard to catch. Ombudsman, Sea The Fire, and Daryz will chase hard; however, you’ll need an exceptional turn of foot to catch him; he’ll be played late under Ryan Moore, but it’s Delacroix who has that, an exceptional turn of foot.

Recommendation

Delacroix 9/4 win