<p>The $2.7m purchase Sir Delius rubber-stamped his Melbourne Cup credentials with an impressive victory in the Group 3 JRA Chairman's Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.</p> <p>The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stallion carried the top weight of 60kg on a heavy track and still had more than enough class to beat home Floating ($7.50) and Manzoice ($12) in the $200,000 race over 2000m.</p> <p>On the strength of one run in Australia, Sir Delius immediately firmed from $26 into $15 to win the race that stops a nation on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington.</p> <p>The four-year-old, a son of Frankel, had come to Australia on the back of an eighth place in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France and he looked right at home on the heavy ground at Doomben with Tim Clark riding.</p> <p>"He's bred to get over much further and his form in Europe suggests that as well," Bott said.</p> <p>"He was always purchased as a Melbourne Cup prospect.</p> <p>"He's got that quality about him so everything we do in this preparation will be geared towards that."</p> <p>Sir Delius races in the colours of businessman and philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn, who has won plenty of Australia's big races but never a Melbourne Cup.</p> <p>In his twilight years, Sir Owen has made no secret that the Melbourne Cup is the race he craves to win more than any other.</p> <p>"He's lightly-raced and has been very well looked after in his career," Bott said.</p> <p>"He's a lovely big individual and a beautiful physical specimen. He thrives on his work and has a great constitution.</p> <p>"Sir Owen Glenn identified him as a Melbourne Cup prospect and we were able to partner up with him as a major shareholder. We put together a nice partnership with some existing stable clients."</p> <p>Sir Delius' next assignment is likely to be the Group 2 $1.2m Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke Handicap Day on June 14 at Eagle Farm.</p> <p>He was bought for a record-breaking 1.3 million guineas ($A2.7m) at the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket in October.</p> <p>Sir Delius won three of his six starts for French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.</p>