'He has everything and we can't wait to get him off to stud' - Aidan O'Brien on a potential game-changing stallion

Aidan O'Brien has emphasised the importance of Delacroix to Coolmore's stallion operation ahead of the three-year-old colt's date with Irish Champion Stakes destiny later this month.

Speaking at a Ballydoyle press morning to launch the Irish Champions Festival, which takes place on September 13 and 14, O'Brien said the son of Dubawi "is vital" to the future of the organisation.

More from the Ballydoyle press morning

• Aidan O'Brien: Christophe Soumillon to play a major role for Ballydoyle this autumn in Ryan Moore's injury absence
• 'We'll put the pace on and find out once and for all who the best horse is' - Aidan O'Brien wants Delacroix decider with Ombudsman 
• Aidan O'Brien reveals preferred starting team for the Arc - and says we haven't even seen the best of Minnie Hauk yet

O'Brien said of the Coral-Eclipse winner: "He's the horse everyone wants this year. He's an outcross –  by Dubawi and out of a Bernstein mare. He's big and powerful and a great walker, everything about him is what you want in a stallion."

The son of champion Tepin is a half-brother to last season's Group 1 Prix de Royallieu winner Grateful and the Juddmonte International runner-up has all the attributes necessary to become a successful stallion, in O'Brien's opinion.

Aidan O'Brien: "He's the horse everyone wants this year"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"We've been waiting on a Dubawi to come along all this time and here he is. He has everything and we can't wait to get him off to stud."

Second in last year's Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes on the Irish Champion Stakes undercard, Delacroix is bidding to turn the tables once more on Ombudsman and would also become the first winner of the Irish Champion Stakes for Dubawi who was beaten to the feat by his son of Night Of Thunder, sire of 2024 winner Economics.

Wootton Bassett is a 'freak'

Wootton Bassett's potential as a stallion was confirmed with the victory of his first-crop son Almanzor in the 2016 renewal of the race.

Europe's champion three-year-old was conceived when his sire stood for just €6,000 at Haras d'Etreham, but the sire of four individual juvenile Group 1 winners in 2024 reached new fee heights this year, standing at €300,000.

The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner has sired only two crops of racing age since his acquisition by Coolmore, but that initial Irish crop includes Classic winners Henri Matisse and Camille Pissarro, as well as Pretty Polly and Nassau Stakes winner Whirl, and O'Brien was effusive in his praise for the stallion.

"Wootton Bassett is just the most incredible stallion and he looks an absolute freak. Where it's coming from it's hard to know but they are all big, they are all black and it doesn't matter what kind of a body they have. They're quick and they stay," he said.

"We've never seen anything like him."

Wootton Bassett: on course to be Europe's champion sire

Whirl has the option of the Irish Champion Stakes or the Prix Vermeille but even if the filly is routed to Longchamp, Wootton Bassett's representation over the two days looks to be formidable with Beautify, who defeated Lady Iman in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes, and recent Group 2 Debutante Stakes winner Composing likely to tackle Group 1 company for the first time in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Italy, who was runner-up in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and Group 3 Acomb Stakes, is a possible runner in the Group 1 National Stakes.

Victory for Delacroix and in either of the juvenile contests would enhance Wootton Bassett's prospects of being crowned champion sire at the end of the season.

He currently leads Night Of Thunder in all categories in the title race with 22 stakes winners as opposed to the Darley sensation's 19.

O'Brien added of Wootton Bassett's stock: "You see it day in, day out here and whether the ground is quick or not it doesn't matter to them. They're easy to train and they're hardy too. 

"The beauty about them is they're so easy, you just have to not to overdo them because they try very hard so you are slowing them down all the time at home, they have loads of speed so you don't need to quicken them. They are quick and they still stay, which is very unusual."

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