Aidan O'Brien Eclipse winner smashed in betting for Field Of Gold clash at Goodwood
Aidan O'Brien may be preparing to take down another John and Thady Gosden Royal Ascot winning star with Eclipse hero Delacroix. Delacroix, who was the beaten favourite in the Derby, dropped down in distance to tackle the 1m2f Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown earlier this month.
It looked a tough assignment against hot favourite Ombudsman who had earned the highest rating in the world this year when landing the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot for John and Thady Gosden.
Yet despite dropping back to last, meeting trouble in running, getting bumped and stumbling, he managed to recover and mow down the 6-4 favourite to score by a neck.
O'Brien revealed no immediate running plans for the colt who holds multiple Group 1 engagements.
But a huge clue emerged on Thursday when Delacroix was a major mover in the betting for the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in 13 days' time.
The market for the £1 million Group 1 1m race has been headed by Field Of Gold since Royal Ascot when the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner landed the St James's Palace Stakes by three and a half lengths.
Last year's Sussex Stakes winner Rosallion, second in the Queen Anne Stakes last time, is also in the field as well as his conqueror Docklands in the first major clash at the distance between the top three-year-olds and older horses.
Field Of Gold is the general odds-on favourite but the odds of Delacroix collapsed to 5-1 from 16-1 in William Hill's market after the firm took 'notable' bets.
Spokesperson Lee Phelps said: 'We're less than two weeks away from the Sussex Stakes, and the much-anticipated clash between Field Of Gold and Delacroix could be coming sooner than we thought.
'The Juddmonte had seemed their potential first head-to-head, but we've taken notable money for Aidan O'Brien's Eclipse hero to see him more than halve in price for the Sussex.
'He's now a 5-1 shot from 16s, and while he still has a way to go to get to Field Of Gold at 4-7 favourite, his price collapse could suggest that Ballydoyle are seriously considering dropping him back to the mile.
"We'd still expect Field Of Gold to be very hard to beat over this course and distance, but their meeting would be a tantalising prospect for racing fans.'
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