Christophe Soumillon excelled aboard Delacroix, as they stormed to Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes glory at Leopardstown.
A beaten favourite in the Derby, the son of Dubawi has thrived after dropping back to 10 furlongs since, flying home to land the Coral-Eclipse earlier in the summer and now bouncing back from defeat in the Juddmonte International Stakes to register his second Group One of the season.
Soumillon – deputising for the injured Ryan Moore – was in no rush aboard the 2-1 market leader, with Delacroix finding himself among a cluster of four, including Owen Burrows' second-favourite Anmaat, White Birch and Johnny Murtagh’s well-regarded Zahrann, towards the rear of the field.
With Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Mount Kilimanjaro setting the fractions, the complexion of the race would swiftly change when the runners entered the straight and Soumillon received an immediate response when he asked Delacroix to improve his position, swooping quickly to the front inside the final quarter of a mile.
Chris Hayes sent Anmaat quickly in pursuit, but Delacroix’s turn of foot had already done the damage and he came home three-quarters of a length ahead of the British raider to give O’Brien a record-extending 13th victory in the race.
Aidan O'Brien records a 13th win in the Group One Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes as veteran Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon guides Delacroix (2-1F) to victory in the Leopardstown feature #IrishChampionsWeekend pic.twitter.com/HayLUGQXjv
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 13, 2025
"He's some horse to quicken. He did the same in Sandown, he’s so quick," said O’Brien.
"We knew York was only a sprint down the straight really.
"It was an even, strong-run race. He was very confident on him and took his time on him. When he said go, he just took off.
"It was a solid race, he was happy, he obviously had a little bit to do on him but when he said go on him, you could see the quickness he has.
"What he did in Sandown was very unusual, you don’t see horses do that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse do what he did in Sandown and he did it again today.
"He ran there, when you said go he was gone. In two strides it was over. He wasn’t there and next thing he was gone. He looked like he wasn’t in the picture and next thing he was in front.
"The lads can decide what they want to do. He has all the options."
Delacroix is a son of the exceptional Dubawi out of champion racemare Tepin, making him a valuable stallion prospect for owners Coolmore.
When asked if that could be the last time he races, O’Brien said: "It could be. I can’t tell you how important he is.
"We saw what he could do in Sandown and no one believed it but they’ve seen again today.
"He has all the options, he could go back to a mile. He powered out of the gates and was there cantering and Christophe took him back and let him relax and then he was back a little bit.
"All the things are open to him but I’m afraid to say in case the lads say 'that’s the end’, which is very possible, but it mightn’t be."
Watch the Irish Champions Festival from 2.30pm on Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
