Lone foal out of Breeders' Cup heroine Royal Delta wins on debut

Owner Benjamin Leon jnr told the Racing Post in January that he's never seen a filly look any better than Delta's Royalty - and on Thursday, the lone foal out of Breeders' Cup heroine Royal Delta began to make good on that promise.

Despite racing a bit greenly through the stretch, Besilu Stables' homebred Galileo filly showed enough talent to secure a three-quarter-length win in a mile maiden for two-year-old fillies at Kempton.

Trained by Roger Varian and ridden by Jack Mitchell, Delta's Royalty closed well and switched leads two furlongs from the finish. She seized the lead inside the final furlong and, despite racing greenly at that point, had enough to hold off longshot runner-up Samille in the field of 14.

"The performance showcased the clear ability she had been showing in her work at home," noted Varian on his website. "And the fact she was able to win despite being extremely green bodes well for when she matures, especially with her outstanding dam proving to be at her best as an older horse."

Bred in Ireland, Delta's Royalty is out of the late Empire Maker mare Royal Delta, a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Leon's Besilu Stables acquired Royal Delta for $8.5 million at the 2011 Keeneland November Breeding-Stock Sale, days after her first Distaff win at Churchill Downs. Royal Delta won the same race a year later for her new owner at Santa Anita Park.

Royal Delta died of complications from the foaling after delivering Delta's Royalty in 2017.

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