Jockey Craig Williams spent the week on planes, trains and ferries in Sydney, but on Saturday morning he was reminded he was on an express with Gai Waterhouse.
“Gai told me, we have the best proven mile-and-a-quarter horse in the country,” Williams said after Sir Delius broke Autumn Glow’s heart in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
“They wanted to be aggressive and that’s what we did.”
A relaxed Williams had done his form on Manly Beach as he took in the sights of Sydney with his children during the week.
However, he was safe in the knowledge Sir Delius, who had been Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup favourite before Racing Victoria scans ruled him out, was back to his best.
“Adrian [Bott] did a marvellous job with him because this was the target and he was ready today,” Williams said. “I rode him two weeks ago and again on Tuesday and it was there for everyone to see.
“Tuesday was the first time he felt like the horse we had in Melbourne.
”I was on public transport all week because my son loves it. When I did the form on the beach, I was relaxed that they would have to beat him.”
Sir Delius needed to be at his best because Autumn Glow, with her unbeaten record, was ready for her coronation over 2000m. She would start a $1.30 favourite, but the crown was bound for another.
The Queen Elizabeth turned into a survival of the fittest as Light Infantry Man thundered through the early sections, but by the home turn, Sir Delius had taken the lead and Autumn Glow loomed at the 300m mark.
It was her moment.
But the script was about to be turned. Sir Delius dropped down a gear as Autumn Glow wavered instead of quickening.
His margin stretched to a length, then two, and in the end Lindermann would get the closest to him, grabbing his no longer perfect stablemate to take second.
“She was so brave in defeat,” James McDonald said of Autumn Glow.
“They really stretched it from basically the 1400m. She relaxed and travelled into it beautifully.
“Credit to the winner. He sustained that speed. He was up there fighting and too good on the day.”
It was vindication for Go Bloodstock boss Stevie O’Connor, who had cut a lone figure after Sir Delius ran third in Aeliana’s Ranvet Stakes three weeks ago.
He had felt that a testing 2000m would always favour Sir Delius.
“That day we went negative, and we didn’t get to see his best,” O’Connor said. “Today we saw his best.
“Adrian said to me not to worry because he would be peaking on this day.
“We had a lot of trouble from the spring and getting back to his best because of what went on.
“This was the target and everything went right.
“We got the race we wanted, and Sir Delius showed he was the best horse. He was there to be beaten, and they couldn’t go with him.
“It is the most important race we have won because it means he will find a home in the Hunter as a stallion, but there is more to come.”
As the trophies were awarded, Bott cut a fine figure of accomplishment.
“You were taking on a champion mare, so all I could be confident in was that we had him at his best,” Bott said.
“We have won Golden Slipper and other races, but this was weight-for-age against the best, so it is his best win I have in partnership with Gai and hope she thinks the same.”
The final word goes to Williams, who pointed out that it was only Sir Delius’s 13th start.
“The world is his oyster now. The Cox Plate is at Flemington, so we look forward to that but he could go anywhere in the world and win.”
