City Of Troy heading straight to Breeders’ Cup Classic

Nick Robson and Ashley Iveson
August 22, 2024 3:38 pm

Racecourse gallop at an all-weather track the plan before Del Mar bid.

City Of Troy is poised to head straight for the Breeders’ Cup Classic following his victory in the Juddmonte International at York.

Aidan O’Brien’s all-conquering Justify colt carried all before him as a juvenile and despite an unexpected blip in the 2000 Guineas, he has reasserted himself as his generation’s star performer, winning both the Derby and Coral-Eclipse before dazzling on the Knavesmire on Wednesday.

He is reported to be none the worse for his York exertions, where he led from pillar to post in the hands of Ryan Moore and broke the 10-furlong track record in seeing off French raider Calandagan.

City Of Troy (right) made all at York in track-record time (Mike Egerton/PA)

Despite holding entries for Group One events throughout Europe over the next few months, connections appear fully focussed on taking City Of Troy to Del Mar on the dirt in November, where he will attempt to become both O’Brien and Coolmore’s first-ever winner of the Classic.

Filling the void before his trip Stateside, O’Brien has suggested his champion will tune up for his trans-Atlantic assignment with a gallop at an all-weather venue in Britain, with both Southwell – a track O’Brien has used previously to put his dirt contenders through their paces – and Wolverhampton mooted by the Ballydoyle handler.

He said: “It looks like City Of Troy is going to go straight to the Classic, I think, listening to everybody.

“I think he’s going to go to one of your tracks (for a racecourse gallop), either Southwell or Ryan mentioned Wolverhampton.

“We just want to get him on a different surface, so that’s where he could go and then he’ll go straight on (to America).”

On going to Breeders’ Cup Classic, Coolmore partner Michael Tabor said: “It is very difficult, trying to prepare the horse for a different situation and it is a big ask.

“I noticed someone quoted him at 3-1. That is a short price – that’s a ridiculous price. A different surface like that, he’s not used to that surface.

“Naturally we’d love to win it. We’ve gone pretty close with Giant’s Causeway and maybe one day we’ll win, hopefully this year with City Of Troy.”