Juddmonte International Stakes report and replay: City of Troy show his class
By Andrew Asquith
12:18 · THU August 22, 2024
Derby winner City of Troy made most of the running and produced a superb performance to beat Calandagan in the Juddmonte International.
The Lion In Winter and Los Angeles had set the stage for Aidan O'Brien and City of Troy on the first day of York's Ebor Festival and the son of Justify completed a brilliant hat-trick for Ballydoyle in style.
The Juddmonte International had been dubbed as the 'race of the summer' and City of Troy was given a very positive ride by Ryan Moore to blow his rivals away.
Derby winner City of Troy started the 5/4 favourite and Ryan Moore was keen to be positive on him, jumping alertly from the stalls and easily moving into the lead, having too much speed for his supposed pacemaker Hans Anderson.
Moore set steady enough fractions in the first half of the race and kept upping the ante in the straight. City of Troy found plenty for pressure to hold off what looked a threatening challenge from Calandagan, who finished second, with Ghostwriter back in third in what was a course-record time.
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Ryan Moore said: "Look, to be honest there's not much point saying too much, as the boss said the last day, we'll let the horse do the talking, and he's gone out and done it again.
"He was an exceptional two-year-old, we had one bad day, still got the job done in the Eclipse, and you know, he's put together a very good record."
When asked about a change in riding tactics Moore went on to say: "Just cantering down, I was following Wayne, and I kind of thought at that point when we passed them going down, we might have to do it a bit different.
"He got away well and I didn't want to be taking him back, just let him use his rhythm and he travelled beautifully the whole way.
"I only really let his head go inside the two, he was a little bit idle but he was finding all the way to the line, he always kept digging in, he's a very talented racehorse and, a super horse really."
City of Troy is driven out to win the Juddmonte International in impressive style
Connections were clearly delighted with City of Troy's performance, the scenes in the winners' enclosure from Aidan O'Brien and the masterminds behind the Ballydoyle operation afterwards just a picture of excitement.
City of Troy has the world at his feet now and a beaming Aidan O'Brien was in high spirits when asked about how good he thinks his stable star is.
He said: "Someone said he smashed the course record there and it obviously didn't go according to plan, Ryan decided to make the running on him and listen what an incredible ride he gave him.
"Ryan said to me going to the start he was very happy, he went by his lead horse going down and he felt he was very happy doing that.
"We've always felt he was very different. He loves bowling and we've not done it since what happened in the Guineas. He loves to be on a strong pace and he gets it really well. Everything he does, strong pace, tactical speed, he stays, he's tough, everything has me hoping maybe the lads might go to the Classic with him. It's some dream.
"He's the best I've ever trained, we always thought that when he was a two-year-old. We went off the road first run this year, we went right down into the swamp, so to get back to where he is today is incredible."
As you would expect, City of Troy's price for the Breeders' Cup Classic has contracted and he is now the general 4/1 favourite from 8/1. He is very much bred to act on dirt and riding tactics similar to what were deployed today will see him to good effect at Del Mar.
However, there is still a small possibility of City of Troy running in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, something which Ryan Moore is keen to do.
O'Brien said: “I know Ryan would love to do the Arc and anything is possible, but the lads will decide where they want to go. You need a very special horse for the Arc and that is what Ryan always thought he was, but it will be discussed.”
City of Troy is as short as 5/1 for the Paris showpiece, but he is as big as 12/1 with Sky Bet.
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