Sir Delius is the weight-for-age star of the 2026 spring and a fascinating Melbourne Cup wildcard at $11. He won three Group 1s in 2025-26 — including an emphatic Queen Elizabeth Stakes — before his Cox Plate campaign ended when vets withdrew him on welfare grounds. He's back, and the Turnbull Stakes is expected to be his spring launching pad.
His connections' stated main target is the Cox Plate, with a Melbourne Cup decision to follow — the same build-up path Via Sistina and so many champions have walked. The question for Cup punters is whether a genuine weight-for-age star will take a penalty into a handicap, and whether 3200m suits his high-cruising, sprint-lunge racing pattern. If he lines up, he'll be one of the most talented horses to contest the Cup in years.