Sir Delius stamped Melbourne Cup aspirations with a pulsating Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) triumph at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained son of Frankel fought back strongly over the concluding stages under champion jockey Craig Williams to deny Buckaroo back-to-back Underwood Stakes.
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Buckaroo, trained by Chris Waller, sustained a searching gallop from back in the field before the turn to find the front inside the last 200m but Sir Delius refused to give up as supreme stamina kicked in.
“I can’t describe how excited I am, I cannot tell you,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s the most exciting thing I’ve seen in years.
“He was not in a good a position throughout the race. He was back, about one or two positions off the fence.
“He was trying, trying and when he came around the straight he wasn’t any good thing, but then all of a sudden he saw the winning post and he took off. He was just fabulous.”
Sir Delius returned $2.10 for favourite backers.
Sir Delius should only be better suited third-up in the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes (2000m) next month at Caulfield before a Cox Plate (2040m) bid, a final hitout for the Melbourne Cup.
SIR DELIUS ⭐
He is very, very good! Sir Delius wears down Buckaroo to win the Underwood in a desperate finish 😲 pic.twitter.com/nWPapF89pi
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Sir Delius joined star international Al Riffa atop Melbourne Cup markets as a $6 equal favourite after the tenacious Underwood win.
The four-year-old, who cemented a future at stud with the elite win on Saturday, was promoted to second favourite in Might And Power Stakes and Cox Plate all-in markets.
Waterhouse saddled a third Underwood in four years on Saturday after Alligator Blood scored back-to-back victories in 2022-23.
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Sir Delius will bypass the Caulfield Cup next month to preserve his 55.5kg Melbourne Cup handicap.
“It was Adrian’s program and it was very much around Fiorente which we won the Melbourne Cup with in 2013,” Waterhouse said.
“We’ll go to the Might And Power and then we’ll go to the Cox Plate and then that elusive race on the first Tuesday in November.”
Gai Waterhouse (right) celebrates after Sir Delius won the Underwood Stakes. Picture: Getty Images
Fiorente placed third in the 2013 Cox Plate before delivering Waterhouse a first and only – to date – Cup win.
“They are both very similar, both are very handsome horses,” Waterhouse said.
“They have fabulous attitudes, like a will to win… they’re big striding horses and just know where the winning post is.”
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Meanwhile, Waterhouse brushed off Vauban’s “disappointing” performance in Sydney on Saturday.
Vauban eased $11 to $18 for the Melbourne Cup after being unplaced in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
“He was disappointing, I don’t think you’ll see the best of him until he gets down here to Caulfield over the 2400m,” Waterhouse said.
Buckaroo was gallant in defeat.
“Had a nice run, presented to win, hit the front – probably put a half-length on the winner – but it just found back,” Shinn said.
“He ran great, he’s on track for the Cups and a good effort today.”
Emerging stayer Golden Path ran a bottler third for co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr.
Moira, fourth, travelled in the run but was probably not suited to the firmer surface.