Sir Delius supreme in TAB Turnbull Stakes

Imported stayer Sir Delius has leapt to the top of markets for the Melbourne Cup after disposing of a class field of horses in the TAB Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. 

The Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday is a race regarded as one that shapes the future of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. 

Sir Delius was dynamic in his victory on Saturday and had his price shortened for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 to lead the market over Al Riffa while only Via Sistina sits between he and favouritism for the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25. 

Ridden by Craig Williams, Sir Delius ($7) overcame a wide draw and an interrupted passage before scoring a 1-¾ length victory from Antino ($9.50) with the $2.60 favourite Via Sistina a long neck away third. 

Via Sistina and Sir Delius are due to clash again in the Cox Plate, a race the former won by an astonishing eight lengths 12 months ago. 

While Via Sistina was winning Australia's great race at Moonee Valley last year, Sir Delius was still on the other side of the world having recently competed in one of the world's greatest races, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp which coincidently is being run on Sunday night. 

Sir Delius was purchased for $2.7 million by clients of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable to do his future racing in Australia with the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cups his aims. 

The five-year-old entire by Frankel has now won three of his four starts in Australia, twice at Group 1 level and Waterhouse said there was more improvement to come. 

"He's put on condition. He's relaxed more and whatever he runs in, they're going to have to beat him," Waterhouse said. 

"He's a most exciting horse." 

Waterhouse praised Williams' ride after being caught wide early from his outside draw. 

"He had a wide draw, and he (Williams) elected very quickly, which he said to me he might, to come in midfield and then he got caught in a pocket. 

"Any lesser jockey would not have got out of, but the waters opened, and he went boom. That was the exciting part, the boom." 

Williams described Sir Delius a 'great horse', and it was exciting people were getting behind him. 

He said Waterhouse and Bott had given him the confidence that Sir Delius could overcome the wide draw. 

"In Group 1 races, you don't think you can win like that, but we were very confident he could do it," Williams said. 

"We had the outside barrier draw. Gai and Adrian were very good about having an open book without too much pressure about riding him. 

"I had to use a few carrots to find a spot, but when the chips are down, this horse is a winner." 

Williams is unsure what distance range Sir Delius can extend to, but feels the Melbourne Cup, with 55.5kg, is worth taking a punt on. 

"I just said you will never have 55-½ kilos in the Melbourne Cup again," Williams said. 

"I worked him during the week at Flemington, and he walked out and he owned the track. 

"He owns everything he does and today you saw that attitude. He puts the writing on the wall when under pressure against these top horses, and he's delivering."