How did he do it? Ryan Moore chucks plan A, B and C out the window to win a mad but memorable Coral-Eclipse

Aidan O'Brien hailed Ryan Moore for "an incredible ride" after Delacroix emerged on top following a messy running of the Coral-Eclipse. Moore alluded to the challenges of the race afterwards when he said "it wasn't the first, second or third plan", but just how did he do it? We take a look at the key moments

Shuffled back

Ombudsman was the sharpest leaving the stalls, with Godolphin's other runner Ruling Court the slowest. Shane Foley and Maxime Guyon soon rushed Hotazhell and Sosie up into the lead, before Oisin Murphy pushed Ruling Court up the inside of Delacroix in the back straight.

By the time they exited the back straight, Ryan Moore and Delacroix had been shuffled back into the inner of the final pair, alongside stablemate Camille Pissarro. It looked a far from ideal position, particularly at a track that had provided two front-running winners earlier on the card.

Ryan Moore (purple silks) sits alongside Camille Pissarro entering the back straight after being shuffled backCredit: Racing TV

Sit and suffer

Three furlongs out and Moore had to sit and suffer, with Camille Pissarro blocking his outside and Ruling Court taking a similar gap in behind the leaders.

It remained a bunched field and one that was still headed by Sosie on the inside of Hotazhell.

Ryan Moore and Delacroix are caught in a pocket with nowhere to go in the EclipseCredit: Racing TV

Escape route found

Moore was left with no option but to switch Delacroix out behind Camille Pissarro, a manoeuvre that gifted the field a couple of lengths and the often crucial momentum. 

William Buick went for glory on Ombudsman and kicked on into the lead, chased by Camille Pissarro. Murphy had to wait for a gap on Ruling Court and Moore was still last on Delacroix.

The late surge

Delacroix started to fly down the outside entering the final furlong, but he still looked up against it with Ombudsman rolling clear of Camille Pissarro and the rest of the pack.

Yet Delacroix kept finding another gear and the impossible soon became the reality in a matter of strides as the three-year-old powered up the Sandown hill to nab Ombudsman and Buick in the shadow of the post, a fitting conclusion to a mad but memorable Eclipse.

Delacroix makes up an extraordinary amount of ground down the outside in the final furlongCredit: Racing TV

Delacroix nabs Ombudsman in the final stridesCredit: Racing TV

Read these next:

Coral-Eclipse: Ryan Moore delivers Delacroix at the death for epic victory over Ombudsman 

John Gosden on Ombudsman's narrow Eclipse defeat: 'I did warn people it could be a messy race, I was correct' 

'I can't tell you how important he is' - Aidan O'Brien on Coolmore's Eclipse hero Delacroix 

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