Leopardstown: Delacroix, out of Tepin, wins 1 of 3 BC qualifiers

Delacroix, the final foal out of Hall of Fame inductee and fan favorite Tepin, showed a devastating kick to win the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday at Leopardstown, giving his trainer Aidan O'Brien his 13th win in the race.

The victory earned him a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. O'Brien did not commit to a next race, saying in a post-race interview with Racing TV that he wasn't sure about the next race, and that Coolmore would decide what to do next.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Delacroix's long shot stablemate in the Aidan O'Brien barn, winged out to the early lead. Royal Champion and Shin Emperor tracked in closest range, with even-money favorite Delacroix settled toward the rear of midfield.

Approaching the quarter-mile mark, jockey Christophe Soumillon asked the question and Delacroix flashed to the lead inside of Mount Kilimanjaro, who folded. Anmaat emerged from the field to give Delacroix chase into the final furlong and a half. He kept on earnestly, but Delacroix was always able to find enough to hold him at bay, crossing the wire in front by a measured half length. He finished the 1 1/4 miles on good to yielding turf in 2:04.69.

Royal Champion could not match the top two but still held third, 2 1/4 lengths behind. Hotazhell, White Birth, Shin Emperor, Zahrann and Mount Kilimanjaro completed the order of finish.

Delacroix is a 3-year-old colt by Dubawi out of 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Tepin, owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor. His win in the Irish Champion Stakes was his sixth in 11 starts, and his second at the Group 1 level after the Eclipse (G1) at Sandown on July 5.

"Christophe (Soumillon) gave him a super ride," O'Brien said in an interview with Racing TV. "We saw him doing it at Sandown, what he did was very unusual. He did it again today... when he said go, it was over."

Fallen Angel does one better in the Matron Stakes

Fallen Angel, second to Porta Fortuna in the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in 2024, improved on that result a year ago with a half-length victory over Exactly in Saturday's 2025 edition of the race. The victory earns her a bid to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

In an interview with Racing TV after the Matron, however, trainer Karl Burke did not mention plans to go to the Breeders' Cup. He plans to return her in the Sun Chariot (G1) on Oct. 4 at Newmarket if she comes out of the race well, and then a possible attempt against males on British Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 18.

Vera's Secret bounced out to the early lead. Fallen Angel, the 6-5 favorite in the pari-mutuel World Pool, was a bit keen while tracking in second under jockey James Doyle. Exactly and California Dreamer made up the next flight.

Doyle asked Fallen Angel for her run near the three-furlong mark. She chased the pacesetter doggedly, but did not start in earnest to reel the leader in until just past the quarter-mile mark, as Exactly launched a run inside of Fallen Angel. The pair overhauled the pacesetter into the final furlong, battling head and head for the lead.

However, in the final sixteenth, Fallen Angel found enough, crossing the wire a stubborn half-length in front of Exactly. She stopped the clock in 1:38.93 for the mile over good to yielding ground.

Late-running Atsila ran on for the show, three quarters of a length behind Exactly. Cathedral, Cercene, Queen of Thunder, January, Sparks Fly, Duckadilly, Vera's Secret and California Dreamer complete the finish order.

A 4-year-old daughter of Too Darn Hot owned by Wathnan Racing, Fallen Angel has now won six of 12 career starts, including four triumphs at the top level. It is her second Group 1 win in a row, as she took the Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville on Aug. 3 by a head over January.

After the race, Burke admitted there were some anxious moments. "I thought we were beat a furlong out when (Exactly) came to us," he told Racing TV. "She's one of those who just waits and waits and when she gets a smack she always gives it to you."

Benvenuto Cellini rises to top of class with easy Irish Champions Juvenile Stakes victory

Benvenuto Cellini, an Aidan O'Brien-trained son of Frankel out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord, earned a bid to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Saturday with a dominant five-length win in the Irish Champions Juvenile (G2) at Leopardstown.

However, O'Brien did not state plans to run him at Del Mar, instead suggesting in a post-race interview with Racing TV that he would either run in the Group 1 Futurity at Doncaster on Oct. 25, or a race in France.

Coming off a maiden win at Killarney on July 14, Benvenuto Cellini was bet down to  2-5 in the pari-mutuel World Pool while facing just three other foes. Hardy Warrior set the pace in the short field, with Benvenuto Cellini content to track just behind.

Past the three-furlong mark, jockey Christophe Soumillon asked Benvenuto Cellini to go. He drew even with Hardy Warrior just past the quarter-mile mark, and blasted clear of his foes in the final furlong. He stopped the timer in 1:42.35 for a mile over good to yielding turf.

Hardy Warrior, while unable to stay with the winner, held for second by a half length over Nil Bua Gan Da, who rallied from last and nosed out A Boy Named Susie for the show. Montreal was a veterinary scratch. All of the runners are trained by members of the O'Brien family: father Aidan conditions Benvenuto Cellini, son Joseph trains Hardy Warrior and Nil Bua Gan Da and another son Donnacha trains A Boy Named Susie.

Benvenuto Cellini, owned by Peter Brant, M. V. Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, is now a two-time winner in three starts. He was second on debut in a seven-furlong maiden race at the Curragh in his debut June 28, but has won decisively in two starts since. After his win in the Irish Champions Juvenile, he shortened to a 12-1 best price at British racebooks, making him the current favorite in that market.

"Looks like he's going to be a lovely middle-distance horse, really," Aidan O'Brien said in an interview with Racing TV. "Dylan (Brown McMonagle, jockey of Hardy Warrior) took him along out in the middle of the track and obviously Christophe (Soumillon) had a choice to come to right or left rail, and it was easier to go to the right rail. He's lovely. I couldn't be happier... he was always going to be a Derby Trial horse. Christophe says he feels like a French Derby horse."