Ben Linfoot unpicks the result of the 2024 Betfred Derby in his big-race analysis - also check out the full result to find out what happened to your cash.
Betfred Derby 2024: Full Result
1st CITY OF TROY 3/1 Fav
2nd Ambiente Friendly 9/2
3rd Los Angeles 6/1
4th Deira Mile 25/1
5th Sayedaty Sadety
6th Dancing Gemini
7th Bellum Justum
8th Ancient Wisdom
9th Euphoric
10th Tabletalk
11th Kamboo
12th God's Window
13th Macduff
14th Dallas Star
15th Mr Hampstead
U.R Voyage
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Analysis
In the end it was a 10th Betfred Derby win for Aidan O’Brien, with last year’s champion two-year-old who was clear of his rivals in the ratings and in the race. It all sounds so simple, but the story of the 2024 Derby, the 245th renewal, was more than just about its winner, CITY OF TROY. Well, almost.
It was about the horses that were missing – Hidden Law, the Chester Vase winner, who lost his life after winning his trial in such tremendous style; Economics, the six-length Dante Stakes winner, taken out of the Derby by William Haggas and not put back in at the supplementary stage; Arabian Crown, the Sandown trial winner, another who might’ve been favourite here but for injury.
Not having those three trial winners in the race has to be taken into account when assessing this year’s Derby crop, but with the favourite beating the second favourite, with the third favourite in third, the initial impression is this was a Derby where the first two home can certainly be rated positively with a view to their future in the game.
Of course, we are here again with O’Brien and a 2000 Guineas flop. Twelve months on from Auguste Rodin’s resurrection in the Derby the master of Ballydoyle was at it again with City Of Troy, who posted a poor effort in ninth at Newmarket after such a high-class juvenile campaign, only to prove himself all over again on the Epsom stage.
He had to do it the hard way, from stall one, a starting berth that meant he wasn’t in an ideal position in the early stages, but he settled really well and didn’t pull for his head, Ryan Moore nursing him into a rear of midfield sit on the rail.
Rounding Tattenham Corner he pulled off the rail around Mr Hampstead, but he soon made a beeline for the inside again and Moore got City Of Troy rolling early, going for the gap between stablemates Euphoric and Los Angeles, the son of Justify responding to all of his rider’s urgings as he followed the loose horse, Voyage, who had unseated Pat Dobbs soon after the start.
So what next for City Of Troy? He won this like a high-class mile and a half horse and you would think races like the King George and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe would be on his agenda, but afterwards O’Brien stated he could stick to a long-term plan and go to Saratoga for the 10-furlong Travers Stakes at Saratoga on the dirt in August.
Being by Justify, it’s no surprise that O’Brien is thinking that way, as the Breeders’ Cup Classic is one of the few top races in the world he has never won and it remains a burning ambition.
O’Brien has had 16 goes at winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic without success and he hasn’t had a runner in the race since 2018, but that could all change now he has got this American-bred three-year-old firmly back on track.
As Moore was cajoling City Of Troy into his winning groove, Rab Havlin, controversially drafted in to replace regular rider Callum Shepherd, was sitting pretty to his outside on Ambiente Friendly, who had travelled through the Derby with real purpose.
Indeed, the eye was drawn to the bright yellow silks of the Gredley family from a long way out, as Ambiente Friendly looked to be travelling best on the turn for home and as late in proceedings as between the three and the two-furlong poles, but City Of Troy slipped up his inside to take control of the race.
Did Havlin wait too long to make his challenge? He possibly did, but the response from Ambiente Friendly off the bridle was not one of a horse that would’ve run any better for being asked for his effort earlier and the conclusion is City Of Troy was simply too strong, even if the loose horse did ever so slightly get in his way in the final furlong.
James Fanshawe and the owners can leave the Derby knowing they have a horse to go to war with at the top level, though, and given the way he travelled through this race he could be worth dropping in trip to 10 furlongs, for all that he sees out the mile and a half well.
Most inconvenienced by the loose horse was probably Los Angeles, who just about hit the front early in the straight as he got to long-time leader and stablemate, Euphoric, but just as he cracked that rival City Of Troy got to him and he was playing for places thereafter. He was tiring late on but was comfortably third.
Three chased home Los Angeles in a cluster a length and a half behind, with Deira Mile edging out owner-mate Sayedaty Sadaty for fourth. Owen Burrows’ horse was in last place at the top of the straight and he made up loads of ground down the outside under Jim Crowley, so it will be interesting to see how he fares on a more conventional track.
Sayedaty Sadaty used up petrol early to get a prominent sit in behind the front-running Euphoric from stall two and he boxed on well for a top-five finish. Dancing Gemini, like Deira Mile, came from well off the pace and challenged down the middle, just being edged out into sixth, and while he seemed to stay this trip well he’ll be dead interesting over 10 furlongs.
The rest were beaten more than 13 lengths and there were a few disappointments. Ancient Wisdom was well positioned to strike but he didn’t find much off the bridle and didn’t seem to act on the track, while Macduff was never travelling at the rear of midfield and limped home in 13th.
Voyage stumbled after the stalls opened and unseated Pat Dobbs. Thankfully he didn’t cause too much trouble, the riderless horse passing the winning post first of all as he led home City Of Troy in the Derby where O’Brien went and did it again.
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