Making his first start since winning the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar in November, Henri Matisse returned a gutsy winner at Leopardstown March 30 while taking the Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" Stakes (G3).
Jockey Ryan Moore relaxed the son of Wootton Bassett several lengths off a quick pace set by Arizona Blaze through the early stages of the seven-furlong contest. Dropping back to last of seven as the field approached the final three furlongs, Moore called upon his mount to pick up the running along the rail.
Grinding away through the straight, Henri Matisse split rivals inside the final furlong to get up for the victory by a half-length over Comanche Brave in 1:28.44. Arizona Blaze held for third.
"We were very happy with everything he was doing," trainer Aidan O'Brien told Racing TV about the Coolmore colt bred by Immortal Verse Syndicate. "He likes to take his time, he likes a nice bit of ground.
"The pace was on, we were a little bit worried about whether he was going to be fit enough for that. Fractions were very quick early, and I think it was a second below standard. It was a good trial. He went hard. He will appreciate going up to a mile. You couldn't be happier really."
The race acted as a solid tune-up for the May 3 Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket over 1,600 meters (about one mile).
"We always felt he was going to be a miler, but Ryan talked today like there was a chance he could even get further," O'Brien said about the colt's future after the Guineas.
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Delacroix Solidifies Place Among Top Epsom Derby Hopes
The day at Leopardstown got even better for O'Brien and Coolmore as Delacroix put in a professional performance to make all to win the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (G3).
Delacroix was popped straight into the lead by Moore with the other riders content to take a lead off the 4-7 favorite.
Moving around the home turn the pack closed up on Delacroix, but Moore had plenty up his sleeve. Kicking on with two furlongs remaining after being joined by Tiberius Thunder, Delacroix was given just one flick of the whip inside the final furlong as he ran on to take the prize.
Having attempted to take on Delacroix, Tiberius Thunder was passed in the final stages by Lambourn, a stablemate of the winner, to claim second under Ronan Whelan.
Delacroix was shortened to 10-1 (from 16) by Betfair and Paddy Power for the Derby (G1) at Epsom in June. The market is headed by The Lion In Winter, who is a general 7-2 favorite.
The last horse to go on to land the Derby having won the Ballysax Stakes was Harzand in 2016.
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