Next chapter in poignant tale as Delta's Royalty makes debut

Delta's Royalty - the sole offspring of dual Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Royal Delta - will make her eagerly anticipated debut in the two-year-old maiden fillies' stakes over a mile at Kempton on Thursday evening (6.45).

The Galileo filly will be sent out by Roger Varian, who has been entrusted with the star juvenile by owner Benjamin Leon jnr, who acquired Royal Delta through his Besilu Stables for $8.5 million at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale, days after she posted her first win in the Distaff at Churchill Downs.

The daughter of Empire Maker carried the colours of Leon to victory in the same contest a year later at Santa Anita, and she was retired to stud having struck six times at the highest level.

Despite a difficult start to her breeding career, she was successfully covered by Galileo in 2016, and delivered a healthy filly foal the following spring.

However, the story then took a cruel twist, as the mare tragically died due to complications from the foaling.

"Her Galileo filly will never be sold," Leon told the Racing Post in January. "She's the most important thoroughbred that I have because of what she represents to me from Royal Delta.

"With the genetics, I thought Galileo would be a perfect match for Royal Delta, and I've never seen a filly any better than the way Delta's Royalty looks. I have great expectations for her."

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Delta's Royalty, who holds early entries in both the Irish Guineas and Oaks next year, will face no easy task at Kempton, with only one newcomer among her 13 declared rivals.

She may be given most to do by the Mark Johnston-trained Morning Shadow, with the once-raced New Approach filly having defied long odds to finish a close second to Great Ambassador at Chelmsford in late November.

Leon has also campaigned Royal Delta's half-sister Crown Queen, by Smart Strike, to a Grade 1 win on turf after purchasing her for $1.6m as a weanling.

Crown Queen's first foal, a two-year-old colt by Empire Maker, made his debut in an Aqueduct maiden special weight in November, while the mare's yearling colt by Galileo is expected to be aimed at racing in Europe.

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