He is now on the cusp of earning a coveted place as one of the greats of Australian racing by winning back-to-back Melbourne Cups.
Delzangles, 41, made a special trip from Paris to Melbourne to watch Dunaden in his final serious gallop yesterday at Werribee, the training quarters for the overseas horses running in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.
Hours later, he flew to Los Angeles, where he has two runners at the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, but he is expected back in Melbourne on Monday.
In total, Delzangles will have travelled more than 26,000 miles in one week in order to supervise the training of his horses. “But, I think it is worth it,” he told me. “I wanted to be sure Dunaden was well, and I’m very happy with him. He couldn’t be better,” he added.
Craig Williams (right) on his way to riding Dunaden to victory in Caulfield Cup
The trainer had paid a similar lightning visit to Werribee prior to the Caulfield Cup victory on Oct 20.
“I think he is better than last year, definitely. But he has to be 4.5kg (around 10lb) better (to win),” the trainer added in a direct reference to the handicap, which have both last year’s runner-up, the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Cadeaux, and fourth, Americain, considerably better in at the weights.
One of Delzangles’ first jobs in racing was working for the Yorkshire yard of Jimmy FitzGerald, gaining all-round experience under both codes that has served him well.
He trained Makfi, a Shadwell reject, to win the 2,000 Guineas, and Chineur to land the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot (but run in 2005 at York) for his godmother, the Marquesa de Moratalla.
He is Dunaden’s fifth (and most successful) trainer, and he realises his good fortune in having been sent this globetrotting star. Before Delzangles, Dunaden had been with Richard Gibson, who only handed him over after being granted a licence to train in Hong Kong.
Like all the great trainers, Delzangles leaves nothing to chance, hence his impressive air miles tally in the past month.
“Having been here last year, we know a little more. We know the track, a routine, and many little details which make things easier,” he pointed out. That is often the difference between winning and losing.
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