'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

The third instalment of Delacroix v Ombudsman in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes is going to be the best yet according to Aidan O'Brien, who revealed Christophe Soumillon could be the one called up for the ride on the Coral-Eclipse winner and also divulged details of a stellar Arc team that will include both Minnie Hauk and Whirl.

Speaking from Ballydoyle at a press morning ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, O'Brien implored John and Thady Gosden to bring Ombudsman over for the Leopardstown showpiece on September 13 and he has promised them a relentless pace to ensure we find out who is the best of the two top-class colts.

More from Aidan O'Brien:

• Aidan O'Brien reveals preferred starting team for the Arc - and says we haven't even seen the best of Minnie Hauk yet 
• '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: Christophe Soumillon to play a major role for Ballydoyle this autumn in Ryan Moore's injury absence 

The score is tied between the pair at one-all after Ombudsman gained revenge for his last-gasp defeat to Delacroix at Sandown in the Juddmonte International at York, but O'Brien felt that was a deeply unsatisfactory race and is dying to have another crack at the Godolphin four-year-old.

"I really hope he will come over," replied O'Brien when asked about round three of Ombudsman and Delacroix. "Sheikh Mohammed is probably the greatest sportsman we’ve ever seen and I know our men will be delighted if he comes over. We’d love him to come to Leopardstown and, if he does, it will be a proper race.

"We’ll try to run a pacemaker if John doesn’t and we’ll make it very straightforward. The pacemaker will go on and Delacroix can follow him and Ombudsman can follow Delacroix, if he wants! We’ll let them turn into the straight and see what happens from there. For the race and for everybody we want it to happen – win, lose or draw, we’ll be delighted.

Ombudsman wins the Juddmonte International from DelacroixCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We'll put the pace on and we want to find out once and for all who the best horse is. I know there are a lot of people who are in the Ombudsman camp so, come on over John, and we'll see. Everyone has to have an opinion and all opinions cannot be the same. I would say there are more in Ombudsman's camp than Delacroix's at the moment."

The Ballydoyle colt has three and a half lengths to find with Ombudsman from their York clash, but we didn't see the real Delacroix there according to O'Brien and he is convinced we will see a different version at Leopardstown. 

O'Brien said: "I’m very happy with Delacroix since York and everything has gone well. York was a bit of a non-event for us but everything has been good since. He’s very fresh so we’re looking forward to Leopardstown.

"Delacroix is a very good horse. The ground doesn’t matter to him. He’s very happy on quick ground and he seems very happy with an ease as well."

Delacroix working under Mark Crehan on MondayCredit: Patrick McCann

Leopardstown can be a tricky track and there have been umpteen hard-luck stories written on day one of the Irish Champions Festival, but O'Brien thinks you take luck out of the equation when you employ a proper pacemaker.

"What makes it very simple is when there is pace on," O'Brien said of Leopardstown. "You need to be quick at Leopardstown, it's sharp and it's fast, but you need to get home, as well.

"If you can have horses in front and make sure there is pace in a race then everyone gets a fair shot at it. Everyone is always happy to get beaten if you get a clean shot at it.

"When you have these messy races with everyone on top of one another, you can't have an opinion about who is best and who isn't. Those races are the most frustrating. Let there be nowhere to hide."

Delacroix in playful mood after exercising with rider Mark CrehanCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

There is likely to be a real international flavour to the Irish Champion Stakes once again with Shin Emperor back to try and improve on his unlucky third in the race last year, where he was just a length behind Economics after meeting traffic at a crucial stage. 

O'Brien said: "We want everyone to come. The more runners we have from everywhere means we will have more interest from all over the world. That way our horses and everyone else's can be gauged. It's from now on that the travelling roadshow starts, but we would love all these good horses to come to Leopardstown first."

It is 25 years since O'Brien won his first Irish Champion Stakes with Giant's Causeway at the start of the century and he is bidding for win number 13 on Saturday week, having landed the prestigious event with the likes of High Chaparral (2003), Dylan Thomas (2006, 2007), So You Think (2011), Magical (2019, 2020) and Auguste Rodin (2023) over the years.

The Comer Group International Irish St Leger takes centre stage on day two of the Irish Champions Festival and O’Brien revealed stablemates Jan Brueghel and Illinois are set to take each other on in the Curragh event.

O’Brien said: “The lads are very happy for them to run against one another. They are two older horses. We haven't seen the best of Illinois yet. We made a complete hash of it in the King George with Jan Brueghel, but he's very well again now.”

Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, September 13
BoyleSports: 6-4 Ombudsman, 5-2 Delacroix, 7 Zahrann, 8 Shin Emperor, 10 Anmaat, Whirl, White Birch, 14 bar.

Read more . . .

Aidan O'Brien: Christophe Soumillon to play a major role for Ballydoyle this autumn in Ryan Moore's injury absence 

'Hopefully John will come with Ombudsman' - O'Brien keen on rematch for Delacroix in Irish Champion Stakes 

Aventure and Sosie being primed to lead Arc challenge for home team - but John Gosden rules out Ombudsman 

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