Classic dream alive for O’Brien’s ‘best’ City Of Troy
American adventure a possibility after front-running International verdict.
Aidan O’Brien reiterated his belief that City Of Troy is the best he has ever trained after watching his superstar colt smash the track record previously held by Sea The Stars in a red-hot Juddmonte International at York. In a quirky twist, O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter had also clocked a record time earlier in the afternoon in the Acomb Stakes, with the colt the only progeny of that now excellent stallion housed at Ballydoyle. Racegoers have never been left in any doubt about the regard in which O’Brien holds City Of Troy – after his romp in last year’s Superlative Stakes he went on record saying the colt was producing work at home he had never previously seen. Victory in the Dewhurst followed on soft ground and he was a red-hot favourite for the 2000 Guineas but a complete no-show there had even the brightest Coolmore minds puzzled.Having pulled a rabbit out of the hat 12 months previously when Auguste Rodin won the Derby after similarly bombing out in the Guineas, O’Brien repeated the feat at Epsom and while City Of Troy’s Eclipse victory failed to set the pulse racing, the very testing ground was put up as the reason. There was to be no excuse on that score in Yorkshire and there was also no hiding place against Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly, top-class filly Bluestocking, Royal Ascot winner Calandagan and Japanese St Leger victor Durezza. O’Brien ran a pacemaker in Hans Andersen but despite him sporting first-time blinkers, City Of Troy broke quicker and Ryan Moore found himself in front – and there he stayed, winning by a length from Calandagan. As ever in racing, the question is always ‘what next?’ and being by American Triple Crown winner Justify, the dream of a Breeders’ Cup Classic bid, for which he is 4-1 favourite with Betfair, is very much alive.
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