The Group II Superlative Stakes (7f) at Newmarket was won in spectacular fashion by exciting two year-old colt City of Troy, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify (USA), who returns to Australia this spring for Coolmore.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners, City of Troy won his debut at The Curragh on July 1 in a breeze and looked even more impressive stepping up to Group company at his second start.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, the short priced favourite was in a class of his own. City of Troy found another gear over the final furlongs racing away to win by seven lengths.
The win was so impressive bookmakers cut his price to 3-1 (from around 12s) for the 2,000 Guineas next year.
“City of Troy is a very unusual horse; he's unbelievable mentally. Whatever speed you want to go he can keep pushing and he can go up and sit with anything we have. He's a lovely natured horse,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“Ryan couldn't pull him up at the Curragh last time and I knew he was going to go on earlier here today as there's not as much of a pull up after the line here! I was on the line and he came past me and started going again, so I was thinking 'oh no'.
“He looks an incredibly special horse - he looks exciting to me. There's the National Stakes, the Dewhurst, the Futurity, all those races. We've had to back him up quickly here today, but we knew Little Big Bear was coming over and the experience of coming over travelling with him was going to stand him in good stead as it's something we like to do with the two-year-olds if we can. It's unnatural ability.”
City of Troy is a half-brother to Group III winner Military Style and is the best of five winners from five to race from Group I winning Galileo mare Together Forever, a full sister to Group I Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together and half-sister to Group I winner Lord Shanakill.
City of Troy is the 14th stakes-winner for Justify and is his first from a daughter of Galileo.
Justify is the leading Australian first crop sire by earnings and will stand this spring at a fee of $77,000.
