Hailed as possibly the greatest colt of all time to emerge from Ballydoyle under the care of Aidan O’Brien following his undefeated juvenile season, City of Troy had his reputation tarnished with an unplaced return in the Group I Newmarket 2000 Guineas, but the Justify colt was back in business at Epsom.
Ridden by regular partner Ryan Moore, City of Troy was allowed to settle early from an inside draw and travelled smoothly before he was asked to go forward in the Group I Epsom Derby (1m4f).
City of Troy made swift progress and with three furlongs to run was right in contention and then surged clear doing his best work on the line to run away from Ambiente Friendly (Gleneagles) to win by nearly three lengths with his stablemate Los Angeles (Camelot) in third place. Riderless horse Voyage (Golden Horn) was in front of the field but managed to stay out of causing trouble.
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“Ryan gave City of Troy an incredible ride. We knew that the Guineas went totally wrong. I made mistakes training him and that's the bottom line. Since then everything has been beautiful and he really grew up,” said Aidan O’Brien.
"There were stones that I should have looked under that I didn't. He was too fresh, was unprepared and blew up in the stalls when he went in – that's the reality of it.”
City of Troy becomes the tenth Epson Derby winner trained by O’Brien, who also believes he is the best of them.
“I would say no doubt, because he has the cruise, he has the balance, and he quickens and he stays. I don't think there is any doubt about that,” O’Brien said.
“The lads had it in their heads that he could go to Saratoga for the three-year-old race on the dirt, obviously they will think about it and talk between themselves and then they will come back to us with a plan. It's a definite possibility, and they'll have to talk to Ryan and listen to us and then they will make up their minds. It's something very exciting for us.”
City of Troy has now won four of five starts and as a Group I winner at two over 7f and an Epsom Derby winner at the classic distance is the consummate racehorse.
City of Troy headed straight back to Ballydoyle in Ireland after his epic victory with connections pondering the next step in his glittering career.
Bred and raced by the Coolmore partners, City of Troy is a half-brother to Group III winner Military Style and is the best of five winners that all have Black Type 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 best of 30 stakes-winners by Justify and is one of five bred from daughters of Galileo with that nick running at 10% SW to runner,
Justify covered 188 mares in Australia last spring at a fee of $77,000, but will remain in Kentucky this year.
