Sir Delius lands biggest career success in QEII as Autumn Glow’s run comes to an end

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Sir Delius (Frankel) – the headline horse of the spring for reasons good and bad – proved his rare quality beyond doubt in taking the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) as Autumn Glow’s (The Autumn Sun) winning streak came to a decisive end at Randwick on Saturday.

Imported to Australia after a Group 3 win and an elite placing from six starts in France, Sir Delius was a sensation of 2025, with victory in Doomben’s Chairman’s Handicap (Gr 3, 2000m) on his Australian debut followed by imposing spring victories in Caulfield’s Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) and Flemington’s Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).

But as a dominant favourite for the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), he was sensationally ordered out of the remainder of the carnival by Racing Victoria vets, due to unfavourable bone scans.

However, rebooted for the autumn by trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the five-year-old entire hinted he’d retained his spring sparkle with thirds in Randwick’s Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) – behind Autumn Glow – and second-up in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), won by Aeliana (Castelvecchio).

And while most of the Australian racing community will have been cheering for the 11-from-11 Autumn Glow to remain unbeaten on Saturday – not least those who took her $1.31 starting price – the doubts surrounding her first try beyond 1600 metres proved vindicated, and it was Sir Delius who pounced on her vulnerability.

Sir Delius, Sir Owen Glenn’s $6 second elect, was masterfully ridden by Craig Williams who, if Autumn Glow’s partner and Australian Group 1 record holder James McDonald is the country’s No.1, can’t be far behind in second.

Williams, and his training collaborators, knew they had to be in front of Autumn Glow in the run, for if doubts about her 2000-metre capabilities were to prove justified, they would be put to a stern test if asked to chase down a proven middle-distance performer of Sir Delius’ class.

And thus it transpired in a tactical affair, and one somewhat surprising. William Haggas’s raider Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai), who boldly led last start over longer and was just caught by Aeliana in the Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m), this time took a sit, midfield of the seven, as $7.50 third favourite.

Lindermann (Lonhro), who usually leads, this time sat last under the wily Nash Rawiller, at $31.

And Aeliana, felt by many to pose perhaps the most serious threat to stablemate Autumn Glow, took no position at all. Trainer Chris Waller scratched her on race morning, saying she wasn’t as sharp as he’d have hoped in her work through the week.

As last-start Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Light Infantry Man (Fast Company) led under an even pace, Williams was right where he wanted to be, four lengths off him in fourth, with Autumn Glow three lengths further behind.

The pace picked up from the 800 metres and Williams easily sent his mount forward, eventually taking the lead entering the straight.

Autumn Glow ranged up behind, and the crowd was set alight. But as she shaped for her usual charge to the line, worrying signs appeared. Asked for her effort, she veered out at the 350 metres, and veered back in again soon after, her action far rougher than usual. The distance was indeed telling.

In front of her, Sir Delius was bullet straight, under hands and heels riding from Williams, and full of running. Two reminders with the whip at the 150 metres put the issue beyond doubt, and Sir Delius scored a thoroughly deserved win, by 2.2 lengths.

Lindermann showed the benefits of his new tactics in working home well for second, relegating the tiring Autumn Glow into third a further 0.3 lengths away.

Purchased by Sir Owen’s Go Bloodstock, De Burgh Equine, Waterhouse-Bott and McKeever Bloodstock at the 2024 Tattersals Autumn Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket for 1.3 million guineas, Sir Delius has now earned his new owners $4.49 million in seven Australian starts.

He took home $3.06 million from the $5 million Queen Elizabeth, providing a second win in the race for Williams and Sir Owen after the 2015 victory of Criterion (Sebring).

And his trainers were delighted to have won a bonafide Australian major, essentially at his first realistic time of asking following his late spring scratching dramas.

“This is the one that counted,” said Adrian Bott, dubbing Sir Delius a “once in a lifetime horse”.

“Obviously it was difficult in the first parts of the preparation. He had a little bit of expectation on him from what he was able to achieve in the spring.

“But we kept focus and this was the goal that we really wanted to be able to achieve. Today was the right set-up and Craig executed it perfectly.

“We were a little bit negative last start. Sir Owen gave Craig the rev up he maybe needed today and he’s come out and responded like champions do and he’s given a beauty [of a ride].”

Bott said the race was “always going to be a tactical affair” considering his team were taking on Autumn Glow.

“We did want to be in front of her, though I always felt it wasn’t going to be necessarily us making the pace,” he said.

“It was unfolding really well. Travelling into the straight I thought we were in a great position.”

Asked about the disappointments of the horse’s scratching in Melbourne last spring, Bott said: “We move forward. You’ve got to look at those targets in front of you. I’m delighted he’s been able to get back to the top level. He’s executed really well and I can’t wait for the spring again.”

Bott has won two Golden Slippers (Gr 1, 1200m) since teaming with Waterhouse, but said winning the Queen Elizabeth was on a par, particularly given the pressures of training an expensive import.

“It’s got to be right up there. Obviously the weight of these types of horses, that does weigh on you throughout the preparation,” he said.

“Coming here today against a champion mare [Autumn Glow] as well, it’s one of the biggest races we’ve been able to win as a partnership, so it’s certainly right up there.

“Once in a lifetime horses are difficult to come across.”

McDonald said Autumn Glow was “brave in defeat”.

“They really stretched it from basically the 1400 metres,” he said. “She relaxed and travelled into it beautifully. Credit to the winner. He sustained that speed. He was up there fighting and too good on the day.”

Celebrating his 90th Group 1 win, Williams said he was privileged to be able to partner Sir Delius.

“I was lucky enough to get invited to this horse when they first purchased him for a Melbourne Cup path and what we had with him in the spring was just amazing,” he said.

“Then, they brought him back in the autumn. The trainers and owners had so much challenges with what happened in the spring. ”

Still, Williams was left to praise Waterhouse-Bott for their work with the stallion this preparation, after the jockey had been less than impressed with one recent trackwork session.

“I said, ‘Look, the horse is going really well, [but] he’s not fast enough’,” Williams said. “A week later I said, ‘You’ve done a fantastic job’.

“In the spring, he was flying; he was airborne. The only time I’ve felt that since then was last Tuesday morning. What an amazing racehorse.”

Williams also paid tribute, with a smile, to Sir Delius’s professionalism as a racehorse, despite his stallion status.

“In the gates, he had Autumn Glow next to him and he was giving her a look,” he said. “I said, ‘If you win this, you’ve got a chance of dating her’.”

Sir Delius has always had a price tag commensurate with his regal bloodlines.

Breeders David and Trish Brown of Furnace Mill Stud sold him to Coolmore’s MV Magnier for 675,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2021.

His dam, Whatami (Daylami), has bred five winners and three stakes victors among eight runners. His siblings include his Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) winning full-brother Juan Elcano and the Group 3-winning Nkosikazi (Cape Cross).

The 20-year-old Whatami is a sister to Group 2 winner James Garfield’s (Exceed And Excel) dam Whazzat, who in turn is the second dam of another Group 2 victor in Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko). 

Sire Delius is one of 173 stakes winners globally for Juddmonte’s super sire Frankel (Galileo), from 1,042 runners at a phenomenal 16.6 per cent.

Frankel has 21 stakes winners in Australia including four at the elite level, a quartet also including Australian-breds Hungry Heart and Converge, and British import Mirage Dancer.

Still only 17, Frankel has 40 Group 1 winners worldwide.