National Stakes set to be must-watch, with O’Brien colts poised for action

PA Sport Reporters
September 9, 2023 2:19 pm

City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow both carry huge reputations.

Aidan O’Brien holds an incredibly strong hand in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, with high-class colts City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow poised to take each on at the Curragh on Sunday.

The Ballydoyle handler’s youngsters arrive at the Kildare track with a course and distance victory and Group Two success to their name, but while one will further enhance their growing reputation by adding a first top-tier victory, the other will lose their unbeaten record.

The duo are both riding high at the top of the ante-post markets for next year’s Classics, and O’Brien, who is quickly bearing down on 4,000 winners, could get a big indication of who is Ballydoyle’s number one as he attempts to end a six-year drought in the Group One contest.

“At the moment it’s the plan (to run both). We’re happy with both at the moment,” he said on Saturday afternoon.

City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow will face the sternest examination of their career when they come up against Adrian Murray’s Bucanero Fuerte – who has already proven himself on the big stage.

Since finishing third to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes, the son of Wootton Bassett has twice thrived over six furlongs at this track, following up a battling victory in the Railway Stakes with a dominant display in the Phoenix Stakes.

The latter of those two triumphs gave owners Amo Racing a first Group One and his handler is riding a crest of a wave with his stable star.

“It’s a dream to be involved with a horse like him and I never could have imagined it could have happened to me – it’s just what dreams are made of,” said Murray.

“He seems to be getting better and better. He won at the Curragh the first day and then went to Royal Ascot for us to finish third and that for us was as good as having a winner. He then came home and won the Railway and then won the Phoenix – it’s hard to believe.

“He looks like a horse that’s going to train on, he’s a big, long scopey horse and a beautiful mind. He’s thriving with racing and hopefully he keeps it going.”

Bucanero Fuerte has never raced beyond six furlongs, but the strength he has shown at the finish over that distance has connections excited to now tackle and extra furlong.

Murray, who also saddles the outsider Cuban Thunder, added: “He’s always struck me as a horse that needed a step up in trip and I can’t wait to see him running over seven furlongs and a mile. You’d be expect him to keep improving as we step him up.

“He worked very well at the Curragh last week and I could not be happier with him.”

Givemethebeatboys was a place behind Bucanero Fuerte in fourth at Royal Ascot but now has five and a half lengths to make up judged on Phoenix Stakes form, while Joseph O’Brien has won this race in two of the last three seasons and is this time represented by Futurity Stakes runner-up Islandsinthestream.