City Of Troy Shines Bright: Aidan O'Brien's star colt breaks track record, holds Breeders' Cup Classic dream, and solidifies status as the best ever trained at Ballydoyle.
Aidan O'Brien reaffirmed his conviction that City Of Troy is the finest horse he has ever trained following the superstar colt's impressive demolition of the track record, previously set by Sea The Stars, in a scorching Juddmonte International at York.
Interestingly, O'Brien's The Lion In Winter had also set a record time earlier in the afternoon in the Acomb Stakes, with the colt being the only offspring of the now renowned stallion housed at Ballydoyle.
Racegoers have always been aware of the high esteem in which O'Brien holds City Of Troy. Following the colt's impressive performance in last year's Superlative Stakes, O'Brien publicly stated that the horse was delivering unprecedented work during training sessions at home.
After securing victory in the Dewhurst on soft ground, he became the hot favorite for the 2000 Guineas. However, his lackluster performance in that race left even the most astute minds at Coolmore perplexed.
After performing a similar miracle 12 months earlier with Auguste Rodin, who won the Derby following a poor showing in the Guineas, O'Brien pulled off the same feat at Epsom. Although City Of Troy's Eclipse victory was less thrilling, the challenging ground conditions were cited as the reason.
In Yorkshire, there were no excuses to be made, especially given the strong competition against Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly, top-class filly Bluestocking, Royal Ascot winner Calandagan, and Japanese St Leger victor Durezza.
O'Brien employed Hans Andersen as a pacemaker, but even with first-time blinkers, City Of Troy was quicker out of the gate. This allowed Ryan Moore to take the lead, where he remained, ultimately securing a win by a length over Calandagan.
As is customary in racing, the question remains 'what next?' for City Of Troy. Being sired by American Triple Crown winner Justify, the aspiration for a Breeders' Cup Classic bid, where he is a 4-1 favourite with Betfair, remains very much alive.
O'Brien said: "The lads can do whatever they want, but we always dreamed he would be a Classic horse. That's what we always dreamed."
'It wasn't originally planned for today to take the lead, but when he got off to a quick start, Ryan decided to go with it.
'In the Guineas, we deviated from our usual strategy because he startled us. As a two-year-old, he had a rapid start and would dominate and persist, which he did again today. However, Ryan provided an exceptional ride, managing him expertly and finishing very strongly.'
'I believe we will witness his true potential when he starts off powerfully and is allowed to maintain his momentum, getting into a rapid rhythm and sustaining it.
'People will measure his stride, but the length of it in the final two furlongs is truly incredible. That's exactly how he was at two years old; he just keeps going, and Ryan mentioned that he crossed the finish line very strongly.'
Although there is a slight chance that City Of Troy might compete in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—a race Moore is particularly interested in—America remains the more likely option at this point.
"I know Ryan would love to compete in the Arc, and anything is possible, but the lads will make the final decision on where to go. You need an exceptionally special horse for the Arc, and that's what Ryan has always believed he is; however, it will be a topic of discussion," said O'Brien.
'From the moment we started training him, he was simply exceptional. On his first race this year, it felt like he was mired in mud, leaving us uncertain about his progress. We had to overhaul everything to get him performing correctly again.
Today, what we were trying to manage at two years old naturally resurfaced, and we did everything possible to ensure it didn't happen again.
Ryan managed to control him in the lead for as long as possible, avoiding overexertion. It was only as they approached the two-furlong marker that he truly pushed the pace, which is reminiscent of how he performed at the age of two.
We aimed to keep him in peak condition, as we had the Classic in mind, and we wanted to avoid a grueling effort. The last race didn't go as planned—the ground was soft, and the pace was slow—but he still managed to win. We were hoping for ideal conditions: beautiful ground and a flat track.
'The track conditions were incredible. When we walked it, it didn't feel firm but instead had an incredible grass cover.'
Michael Tabor, a member of the Coolmore triumvirate, will be involved in the decision-making process, and he expressed no doubt that City Of Troy is the best horse they have ever had.
He said: 'That was better than anything, and I mean anything!
"He never seemed in danger of losing, and there's still plenty more to come. He's an exceptional horse, just as Aidan has always remarked."
