David Menuisier’s Caius Chorister has run her final race and is set to visit City Of Troy after an admirable career on the track that saw her rise from a humble handicapper into a Group-winning stayer.
The daughter of Golden Horn is owned and bred by Clive Washbourn, with her dam Corpus Chorister also previously campaigned by the same connections.
As a young horse, Caius Chorister had a fairly inconspicuous start to her career, winning for the first time in a class six handicap off a modest mark of 53 in May 2022.
That win was the first of a sequence, however, and the bay went on to land her next four starts to progress dramatically and eventually miss out by only two lengths in the Listed Prix Joubert at Longchamp before the end of the term.
With her sights firmly raised, she mixed valuable handicaps with stakes races the following season and ended that campaign with a Group Three success when taking the Prix Belle du Nuit at Saint-Cloud by four lengths.
Last year, she lined up in many of the key staying events and though victory evaded her, she performed with great credit to go down by just a head in both the Sagaro Stakes and the Henry II – beaten by two useful stayers in Coltrane and Sweet William respectively.
She was also second to Absurde in the Chester Stakes and was deserving of further praise when fourth as the only filly in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day in October.
The six-year-old headed to Dubai for a winter campaign that began in the Al Khail Trophy in January, but she was unplaced and was then out of the money again when contesting the Nad Al Sheba Trophy at the same track last month.
Connections have therefore decided to close the racing chapter of her life, opting to allow her to begin her second career as a broodmare – with a trip to see City Of Troy now on the agenda.
“I feel she doesn’t really handle quick ground anymore – she used to, but I think she wasn’t really happy on the track the other day,” said Menuisier.
“She had no medical issues and we really want to retire her sound, so that’s why we’ve decided to retire her now.
“She has nothing to prove to anybody, she did it the hard way – from 53 to 109 – and we want to make sure she has a great life as a broodmare.
“She rubbed shoulders against some of the best and she held her own, for a filly that is quite rare at that level in staying races.
“She’s been a star for us, let’s hope she can do really well at stud.”
Washbourn has clearly been a loyal owner to Menuisier and though a foal out of Caius Chorister and by City Of Troy would be welcome in any yard, it would be a fitting next chapter were the mare’s offspring to follow in the footsteps of his or her mother.
“City Of Troy is the plan, that’s going to be exciting and will hopefully inject a bit of speed into the stamina she has to try to produce a top mile-and-a-half horse,” Menuisier explained.
“I trained the dam, who was the first yearling I bought as a trainer, so it’s a long history already and hopefully it can continue.”
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There is excitement in the air in Tipperary, with two of the finest horses to represent Coolmore on the racecourse about to embark on their first season in the stallion ranks.
For all City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin achieved on the track, their legacy could truly be cemented in their new role producing future champions of their own.
The two Classic winners form a formidable first-season line-up for Coolmore, as they are joined at the historic Fethard nursery by fellow freshman Henry Longfellow, the Group One-winning juvenile out of the exceptional dual Classic winner Minding.
Hailing from superstar sires, they have all proved their fathers’ sons on the track. But now there is eager anticipation as the bloodstock world waits to see if they can stamp the stars of the future with the same distinctive hallmarks.
City Of Troy at Coolmore (Vicki Gibbins/PA)
“We’ve seen an incredible reaction to these three first-season sires and we have been extremely lucky to be able to retire three Group One winners of such quality,” said Mark Byrne, head of nominations at Coolmore.
“The trio are by superstar stallions in Justify, Deep Impact and Dubawi and all three are out of Group One-winning fillies. It’s a massive achievement for Coolmore to have horses of this calibre to showcase and I think we have something for everyone.
“They were brilliant racehorses, we’ve priced them up in the hope they will be appealing and they are – the breeders and the market have accepted them and they are going to be popular horses, so the next step is now to just go and get the mares out and produce the foals.”
City Of Troy will of course need no introduction to the many breeders from across the globe after his unquestionable exploits on the track that saw him become an unbeaten champion at two and the exceptional performer of his Classic generation the following year.
His quest for greatness at the Breeders’ Cup may have ended in dirt disappointment but that does not diminish from the son of Justify’s impeccable career on turf and a horse Aidan O’Brien describes as the best to grace his hallowed Ballydoyle training grounds.
Officially Longines World’s Best Horserace of 2024 🏆
“Obviously, City Of Troy was a superstar racehorse,” continued Byrne. “In particular, what he did that day in the Juddmonte (International) – and I don’t want to underwhelm that he was a champion two-year-old in Europe, who also won a Derby and an Eclipse – but what he did that day at York was incredible.
“He’s more his mother than Justify and there is a lot of Galileo about him. He’s full of quality, has an excellent action and is a great mover. He’s a good size with scope and strength, so that will be a bit of Justify in him, but for the most part there’s a lot of Galileo about him.”
City Of Troy may lay claim to being O’Brien’s most treasured pupil, but there was also never any doubt about the esteem in which he held Auguste Rodin, the dual Derby scorer with Group Ones to his name at two, three and four.
Along with Henry Longfellow, all three were the consummate professionals during their racing careers and have made an impeccable impression since adjusting to a new way of life
“They are just settling into their new routines and I suppose life is a little more mundane for them now,” added Byrne.
Auguste Rodin was an exceptional winner of six Group Ones (Brian Lawless/PA)
“They are three homebreds, so from the time that these foals are born, they are so well handled by everyone at Coolmore and set to such high standards that they are just super to deal with.
“You can imagine as racehorses they can be different because they are in full training, but they’re just getting used to a slower pace of life now and settling in.
“It is so far, so good and they are all just the ultimate professionals, they all just come out and walk and show and stand up and have been very good to deal with.
“We just hope to get off to a good start, they will start covering in the next month or so and it’s a case of just onto the next job for them now.”
You only had to see America’s excitement over City Of Troy’s Breeders’ Cup Classic challenge or the masses who descended on Tokyo to witness Auguste Rodin’s fitting farewell in the homeland of his father Deep Impact to get a sense of the international appeal of these debutants to the market.
City Of Troy in the paddock before the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Neil Morrice/PA)
When you blend in Coolmore’s first-ever sire by Dubawi, it is no surprise that the trio could prove vital to the organisation’s continued success on the worldwide bloodstock stage.
“We’ve had a hell of a lot of visitors from all over the world, from as far as America, Japan and all over Europe to see these horses,” continued Byrne.
“When you have horses capable of winning at the Breeders’ Cup or are by international stallions like an Asian stallion, an American stallion and then Dubawi, they are going to be hugely appealing all over the world.
“You only have to go to Book One or the December Sales at Newmarket and see how important the international market is for our stallions.
“These horses will be well known and if you imagine in a few years, when you go to present a yearling at the sales, their sires and their sires’ pedigrees won’t take too much explaining.”
Galileo’s legacy continues at Coolmore (PA)
Think of Coolmore and the mind instantly turns to Galileo, a stallion who is without comparison in recent history.
Although City Of Troy, Auguste Rodin and Henry Longfellow are all by world-renowned producers in their own right, there is no escaping the heavy Galileo presence on the dam’s side of their respective pages, something Byrne sees as the ultimate blessing.
“We’ve obviously got a lot of Galileo mares and we have spaced them out to different sire lines accordingly – and I think it’s an incredible asset to have Galileo in the pedigree,” he added.
“When you mix that in with Justify, Deep Impact or Dubawi, then that is an incredible cocktail to work with.
“I think it can only be a positive thing and when you have, for example, Justify over Galileo, Dubawi over Galileo or Deep Impact over Galileo, they are breed-shaping stallions of the highest level you can possibly imagine, so I think it is only a good thing.”
Henry Longfellow is another recruit to the Coolmore stallion ranks (Donall Farmer/PA)
Time will tell if City Of Troy, Auguste Rodin and Henry Longfellow can truly transcend into the upper echelons of both racing and breeding folklore, but for now the waiting game begins as covering season rapidly approaches.
For those within Coolmore, dreams will soon start to turn to reality, as the mares begin to arrive in Tipperary and the countdown begins to welcoming the stars of the future.
“We’re forever optimists and always looking forward to the next exciting thing – and fortunately this is a game where there is plenty of opportunity for that,” said Byrne.
“You are obviously waiting for those first foals and those foals become yearlings and then you are near to a runner, so I suppose the thing about this game is there is always something to look forward to, whether that is a foal to be born, a first runner to be entered – there’s something to be looked forward to all the time.”
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City Of Troy shared top spot in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2024 alongside Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River.
Aidan O’Brien hailed the son of Justify as the best he had ever trained following victories in the Betfred Derby, the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International.
Having powered home to Classic success at Epsom, he was more workmanlike at Sandown but then dominated York’s showpiece event, making all to see off Calandagan and earn a mark of 128.
City Of Troy wins the Juddmonte International Stakes in a course record time! 👀
Speaking at The Savoy in London, regular pilot Ryan Moore commented: “The Derby is always special and that was a great day, that’s what he was bred to do and that’s what Aidan always believed he’d do and everyone always thought he could.
“But when he won the Juddmonte it was probably the best performance that I’d ever been involved with on a racehorse, he was very good that day, it was an exceptional performance and I was a little bit gutted that we didn’t get to see him again (in Europe), but he couldn’t have been any better that day.
“He was different from the first day I rode him at the Curragh. Obviously, we had the blip in the Guineas but apart from that, he always gave me that feel. Once he got into his rhythm, he was very hard to stop – he was relentless and a brilliant racehorse.”
For the first time since 2019, when Crystal Ocean, Enable and Waldgeist were co-winners, there was a tie at the top of the table.
While City Of Troy reigned supreme on turf before disappointing on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Laurel River made his mark on an artificial surface at Meydan in the opening three months of the year.
Laurel River winning the Dubai World Cup (Dubai Racing Club/Liesl King)
Trained by Bhupat Seemar and owned by Juddmonte, he followed up a couple of Group Three wins with a spectacular triumph in the Dubai World Cup, accounting for Ushba Tesoro of Japan and American ace Senor Buscador by more than eight lengths.
Despite not being seen again after that dazzling display at the end of March, the son of Into Mischief had done enough to stay at the summit.
Juddmonte CEO Douglas Erskine Crum said: “The most important thing probably about this horse is that he is one of the last home-bred horses that Prince Khalid (Abdullah) decided the mating, so it’s particularly important for us.”
Via Sistina fared best of the fillies and mares in third on 127, thanks mainly to a wide-margin victory in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
That was one of five Group One strikes for Chris Waller’s charge during the calendar year, with other elite-level scores coming in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill, Randwick’s Winx Stakes and the TAB-sponsored Turnbull Stakes and Champions Stakes, both at Flemington.
Goliath ridden by jockey Christophe Soumillon winning the King George at Ascot (Steven Paston/PA).
A stunning 25-1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes defeat of subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking and multiple Group One winner Rebel’s Romance saw Goliath finish fourth on 126.
Calandagan, Breeders’ Cup Classic star Sierra Leone, fellow American ace Fierceness, Japan Cup hero Do Deuce and Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior were all tied for fifth on 125, while Roger Varian’s champion miler Charyn completed the top 10 on 124.
Frankel, who topped the ratings twice in 2011 and 2012, and 2022 leader Flightline remain the highest-ranked winners of this award, having both achieved a towering mark of 140 at the peak of their powers.
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Some of the best stallions in Ireland have taken centre stage this weekend, but City Of Troy will have to wait another week for his starring role in the ITM Irish Stallion Trail.
The yearly event sees over 30 farms across Ireland open their doors to give breeders and racing fans alike a glimpse of some of the world’s leading stallions.
One of the star attractions of this year’s trail is undoubtedly City Of Troy, who has taken up stallion duties at Coolmore after attempting to become an all-time great in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
However, due to the adverse weather that hit Ireland over the past week, Coolmore and their associated farms Castlehyde, Grange and Beeches Stud delayed visitors for a week, meaning those craving a look at the all-conquering son of Justify have a little longer to wait.
City of Troy won plenty of major races in his career (Mike Egerton/PA)
“No one wanted this weekend to happen more than we did and it is very important that we have the Irish Stallion Trail and we always get behind it,” said Coolmore Stud’s Mark Byrne.
“But we got a very bad freeze and when we struggled to get the horses out, we knew it would be hard going to accommodate the numbers that we were expecting.
“We’re expecting over 1,000 people in two days and it just wouldn’t be possible with the way the farm was struggling to operate – tractors and other vehicles like that were the only way we could get around on the farm, so it just wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s not ideal but the best we could come up with is to come back and do it next weekend. It’s obviously very important for us and we lost a lot of visitors through Covid, so it is ultra-important we get visitors back and used to coming to Coolmore.”
City Of Troy at Coolmore (Vicki Gibbins/PA)
Joining City Of Troy on display for the first time will be the six-time Group One winner Auguste Rodin, who along with Henry Longfellow has joined the Coolmore stallion roster alongside established names such as Wootton Bassett, No Nay Never and Camelot.
Byrne continued: “We’ve got some very nice young horses and we’ve got three first-season sires in City Of Troy, who was obviously one of the best horses in the world last year, Auguste Rodin who is a multiple Group One winner bred in the purple, and Henry Longfellow who is out of a seven-time Group One winning mare and by Dubawi.
“Those are the type of horses that we can only dream of breeding and of course there are other young horses like Little Big Bear and Paddington who are about have their first crop of foals and St Mark’s Basilica who will have his first two-year-olds.
“These are the type of horses we want to showcase to everyone and when you see how good looking they are on top of their pedigrees, then you will realise how proud we are to show them off,”
Dark Angel on display (Vicki Gibbins/PA)
Other names that have been on display across Ireland include Rathbarry and Glenview Stud’s Blue Bresil – the sire of Constitution Hill – and newly crowned champion sire Dark Angel at Yeomanstown Stud.
And with many of the stud farms successfully negotiating the treacherous conditions that threatened to curtail the weekend, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing CEO Charles O’Neill has hailed the efforts made to ensure the weekend once again proved to be an undoubted success.
He said: “We have had 30 farms open to the public and it really is a great thing for the farms.
“I have to say a huge well done to the farms. It has been really cold and they have worked tooth and nail to get the farms clear. There was a lot of snow, especially down the south of the country and the midlands was the coldest part.
“They’ve put in huge work in terms of health and safety and making sure it is safe to welcome visitors. I take my hat off to them all when the easiest thing to do would be to say no.”
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Aidan O’Brien praised City Of Troy’s groom David Hickey after he won a trip to Hong Kong for himself and three friends through City Of Troy’s Derby win being voted the World Pool ‘Moment of the Year’.
The Epsom showpiece earned the vote above Rashabar’s Coventry Stakes success at Royal Ascot, Celestial Legend’s win in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick and Laurel River’s victory in the Dubai World Cup.
Hickey is a regular sight at the biggest racecourses all over the world and has looked after the likes of Galileo and Yeats as well as this season’s standout performer.
“Derby Day was extra special. To come back and do what he did after what happened in the Guineas was brilliant,” said O’Brien.
“David is a special fella, always has been. The line of horses he’s looked after and led up is incredible; Yeats, Galileo, many more, and of course City Of Troy, who we think is the best we’ve ever had.
“David is big, relaxed and has a great understanding of a horse. Things don’t upset him, he’s very calm and he’s unique in the way that he can influence horses. Not only that, he’s a leading trainer of greyhounds in our area. He gets up early and trains them before starting his work on the horses, so that tells you something about his work ethic!”
Hickey said: “Winning the £4,000 World Pool Moment of the Day was a huge reward, so to be named Moment of the Year is even more special and I’m now looking forward to a trip to Hong Kong. I think I’ll head out there in March for the Derby, so it should be great fun.”
“He’s the most genuine horse that you could ever have anything to do with. I’m mad about him and it’s been a pleasure looking after him. He’s a classy gentleman of a horse.”
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Derby winner City Of Troy has been crowned Cartier Horse of the Year at a star-studded awards ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge bounced back from a disappointing seasonal debut in the 2000 Guineas to claim a trio of Group One triumphs.
After a decisive victory at Epsom, he showed plenty of spirit in Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse before dominating the Juddmonte International at York.
The son of Justify is only the second horse after Frankel to pick up this gong after being voted the top two-year-old colt the previous year.
Laurent Feniou, managing director of Cartier UK, commented: “City Of Troy looked an exceptional colt throughout the season and he is a worthy recipient.”
Charyn secured the Cartier Older Horse award thanks to his excellent exploits in the mile division, winning the Queen Anne Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, plus Deauville’s Prix Jacques le Marois.
Bradsell was hailed as the leading sprinter following elite-level strikes in the Nunthorpe at York and the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh.
A magnificent seven straight victories saw Kyprios regain the top stayer title he claimed in 2022, with the Gold Cup at Ascot featuring among four Group One wins.
Porta Fortuna fared best in the category for three-year-old fillies, while Shadow Of Light and Lake Victoria claimed the leading juvenile gongs.
Much-respected trainer Jessica Harrington was honoured with the Cartier/The Daily Telegraph Award of Merit for 2024.
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Coolmore got their hands on the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, but it was Sierra Leone and not City Of Troy who landed the spoils, as Aidan O’Brien’s quest for a fairytale success in Del Mar ended in disappointment.
Most of the pre-race build-up had centred on whether O’Brien’s all-conquering son of Triple Crown hero Justify could transfer his exceptional turf form to dirt and end O’Brien’s quest for an elusive win in the $7million showpiece.
However, Ryan Moore knew his fate very early as the Derby winner was slowly away and almost immediately had plenty of work to do.
While City Of Troy was floundering it appeared chief US hope Fierceness had the race at his mercy as he swung the turn for home with Bob Baffert’s Newgate for company, but Chad Brown’s Kentucky Derby runner-up was eating up the dirt with every stride in the hands of Flavien Prat and edged his way to an unassailable lead as the wire came into range.
Sierra Leone claims the @BreedersCup Classic crown as City Of Troy is unplaced! #BC24
Japanese contender Forever Young ran on for third, with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Newgate fourth.
O’Brien said: “He was left at the start where he lost three lengths and we didn’t have him prepared to break quickly enough. We thought we had, but we hadn’t. He was making up ground at the end (finishing eighth), but Ryan had no chance.
“He inspired us as a horse that could do well in the Classic, and it was so sporting of the lads to run him in it.
“When you get back that far on a dirt surface you can’t do anything about it. I should have had him coming out quicker, it just left Ryan with no chance really. I need to step it up a bit, don’t I, have them a little bit better prepared. We’re learning all the time. Hopefully we’ll try harder next year.”
City Of Troy in the paddock before the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Neil Morrice/PA)
As well as the Derby, City Of Troy won the Eclipse and Juddmonte International this year, adding to his Dewhurst win as a juvenile.
He now heads for a stallion career, and O’Brien added: “The lads were never afraid to push the boundaries. It’s been a great privilege to train him. It was an incredible experience for us all and we will look forward to his babies now.”
Moore felt his mount was brave in defeat. He said: “They went so hard and he just couldn’t get going.
“I let him get comfortable and he’s done well to keep going to the line.”
For Brown, it was a 19th win at the Breeders’ Cup, just one behind O’Brien, and a first in the Classic.
He said: “To lose a Kentucky Derby by a nose – for him to come out and show so much and be on the go since January he’s a remarkable horse in soundness and mind. He’s a good horse who is cooperative. He makes your job easy.
Flavien Prat rides Sierra Leone to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
“For him to have this moment having seen what happened in the Derby and the Travers (third to Fierceness) this more than makes up for it all.”
He went on: “To finally get this done (win the Classic). We haven’t had many runners and have just dabbled in the Classic. You never know when you will be up here again because this is the toughest race in the world.
“Fierceness is a great horse, but our horse hasn’t ever thrown it in. Our horse is all consistency, for me it’s hard to see that he’s not the best three-year-old.”
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City Of Troy’s Del Mar date with destiny has finally arrived and on Saturday he will attempt to etch his name into the history books when lining up for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
It is a race courted by all associated with the son of Justify since he proved unstoppable at two and the momentum has continued to build and build throughout his three-year-old season, now reaching a crescendo in California ahead of the final start of the colt’s somewhat brilliant career.
The Classic has proven something of a holy grail for trainer Aidan O’Brien and his quest to get his hands on the dirt feature has seen him saddle some of Ballydoyle’s best in the $7million contest.
Rachel Richardson rides City Of Troy at Del Mar (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Giant’s Causeway has come closest to breaking O’Brien’s Classic curse when agonisingly denied by Tiznow in 2000, while the likes of Galileo, Hawk Wing and George Washington have all tried and failed when tasked with conquering America’s richest purse.
O’Brien now prepares to saddle the horse he regards as the best to have ever graced his hallowed Tipperary training grounds, as the imperious Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner tackles the dirt surface on which his Triple Crown-winning sire made his name.
He said: “There’s so many things that are going to be new and different to him. Obviously, we prepared him in Europe and he has an awful lot to overcome.
“Ryan (Moore, jockey) is vastly experienced now. Dreams don’t always come true, but we’re very happy with where we are and at the moment, we don’t think we could have done any more.
“Winning the Classic is more difficult than any other achievement in sport.”
In a truly international contest, Yoshito Yahagi will attempt to add the Classic to his decorated CV with leading Japanese contender Forever Young, the Saudi and UAE Derby scorer who went oh so close to plundering the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier in the year.
Yahagi saddled a memorable Breeders’ Cup double the last time the festival was held at Del Mar, and his hopeful arrives on the back of a confidence-boosting win in the Japan Dirt Classic in early October.
“Everything has gone well since he has arrived at Del Mar, he settled in well and we’re very happy with how he has been training,” said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager to owner Susumu Fujita.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result in the Kentucky Derby, we had no luck in that race but we had always planned to come back to the Breeders’ Cup after that run in the Kentucky Derby. We are on plan and he had a great win in his prep race to prepare for this.”
Forever Young is ready for his Breeders’ Cup assignment (Neil Morrice/PA)
Joining Forever Young among a three-strong raiding party from the Far East is last year’s runner-up Derma Sotogake and Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup silver medallist Ushba Tesoro, who was fifth at Santa Anita 12 months ago.
However, it is City Of Troy the Forever Young team fear, as their son of Real Steel bids for Classic glory from an inside draw.
“Obviously, number one is a very tough barrier number, but it is what it is, we have to go through it,” continued Ando.
The Forever Young team fear City Of Troy (Adam Davy/PA)
“There are three Japanese runners and they are all very talented, but also from Europe there is City Of Troy, who is an amazing horse.
“We have seen City Of Troy’s performances and he moves fantastically. He is an amazing horse, a champion horse – and we are very honoured to race against him, he is one of the best horses in the world and of course a very dangerous horse to us in this race.”
The Classic’s most successful trainer Bob Baffert has called on a familiar name and a rare European jockey to win the race in Frankie Dettori to partner his California Crown Stakes third Newgate.
However, America’s main hope is the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, who claimed last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in emphatic style.
Fierceness is already a winner at the Breeders’ Cup (PA)
Owned by the Repole Stable operation of New York businessman Mike Repole, the colt has established himself as North America’s leading middle-distance performer on dirt thanks to success at Saratoga in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes.
“The time off since the Travers has done him well and we’re all very pleased with how he is heading into the race,” said Ed Rosen, general manager of Repole Stable.
“To use a cliche, you want to keep them happy and healthy once they have hit top form and Todd seems to be very happy with Fierceness since his most recent workouts.
“It’s very exciting and it’s been a build-up over time and now we are getting closer, you begin to get a little bit more nervous. When you compete in the Classic here, you need to be at your very best to win.”
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City Of Troy faces the formidable task of taking on America’s finest at their own game on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but past history shows it is not quite mission impossible.
Ahead of this year’s Del Mar showpiece, we take a look back at other European raiders who have performed with distinction:
Arcangues 1993
Andre Fabre’s charge was the longest-priced winner in Breeders’ Cup history when springing a 133-1 surprise at Santa Anita. The horse had been beaten out of sight back home in France on Arc day, but this time came from way back to master leading US hope Bertrando by two lengths. Jockey Jerry Bailey joked: “I couldn’t understand the instructions the trainer gave me in the paddock and I don’t even know how to pronounce the horse’s name, but sometimes a horse runs best when he is ridden by someone who has never been on him before.”
Aidan O’Brien’s son of Storm Cat travelled to Churchill Downs on the back of an incredible campaign which had brought five Group One victories and earned him the ‘Iron Horse’ nickname. Mick Kinane looked to be perfectly positioned when stalking Tiznow turning for home and mounted a strong challenge down the stretch, possibly even drawing level at one stage. However, for a change, he came off second best in a titanic tussle as Tiznow found the extra reserves required to get home by a neck.
Tiznow proved Europe’s nemesis again as he shaded Saeed bin Suroor’s runaway Juddmonte International and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner by a nose. Frankie Dettori settled Sakhee in sixth, just behind O’Brien’s Galileo, but made smooth progress around the final bend at Belmont Park to loom up ominously on the outside. He briefly went past Tiznow to hit the front but the latter rallied courageously once more and was ahead when it mattered. The race took place just six weeks after the nearby New York terrorist attacks, with commentator Tom Durkin crying out the iconic line: “Tiznow wins it for America!”
Raven’s Pass 2008
John Gosden’s three-year-old created history at Santa Anita by becoming the first horse trained in Britain to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, although this renewal was run over a controversial synthetic dirt surface. Defending champion Curlin made an early bid for home turning into the straight but Frankie Dettori was always tracking the favourite. Ballydoyle’s Henrythenavigator emerged as a serious threat in the final furlong but Raven’s Pass showed real class to win going away. Dettori was at his brilliant best that day and said: “When I pressed the button I was hoping he would go to the end and he did. What a good racehorse he is.”
Declaration Of War 2013
Declaration Of War had won the Queen Anne and Juddmonte International before going close in the Classic (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)
Fresh from a break after winning the Juddmonte International, the four-year-old Ballydoyle inmate was sent off as the third favourite, with O’Brien’s son Joseph in the saddle. They were handily placed on the heels of the leaders rounding the final turn and Declaration Of War responded well to strong pressure down the stretch. Unfortunately, Mucho Macho Man had seized a decisive advantage and just held on to beat the fast-finishing Will Take Charge by a nose, with the Irish raider a head further back in third at the line.
Toast Of New York 2014
Toast of New York (right) in a racecourse gallop at Southwell (Simon Cooper/PA).
Jamie Osborne’s charge came agonisingly close to doubling Britain’s tally when foiled by the narrowest of margins as Bayern made all the running to score at Santa Anita. Trying dirt for the first time, Jamie Spencer tracked the winner throughout the race and looked to be getting on terms in the final few strides, but the line came just in time for Bayern, who won by a nose. A stewards’ inquiry was quickly called after the race, but the placings remained unaltered. Osborne said: “He has run his heart out and nearly pulled off the impossible.”
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Joseph O’Brien feels City Of Troy is the “right type” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic as he gears up to witness what “could be one of the races of the year” at Del Mar on Saturday.
Aidan O’Brien’s son has seen plenty of Breeders’ Cups down the years, not only as a supportive son to his father, but also as his jockey and in more recent years, a contemporary in the training ranks.
The younger O’Brien knows exactly how it feels to experience the challenge of the Breeders’ Cup Classic having partnered Declaration Of War to finish a narrow third to Mucho Macho Man for team Ballydoyle in 2013.
City Of Troy looked on great terms with himself at Del Mar on Wednesday (Neil Morrice/PA)
With no runners at the Breeders’ Cup this year, Joseph O’Brien is at Del Mar simply in hope of seeing history made, as the all-conquering son of Justify bids to end his father’s long quest to land the $7million contest.
“I think City Of Troy is the right type for the race, he’s got a ton of speed and a high cruising speed,” said O’Brien.
“As you know, there’s only one way to find out if they will adapt to the dirt or not and that is to run on it. I think he has the attributes though that would suggest he could be one of those that can adapt and take to it.
“I think it will be a fantastic race with some of the best dirt horses in America and top turf horses in Europe taking each other on and it could be one of the races of the year.”
Some of the biggest moments in O’Brien’s racing life have come at the Breeders’ Cup, winning the Turf aboard St Nicholas Abbey in 2011 and saddling Iridessa to strike at Santa Anita in 2019 after hanging up his riding boots.
Declaration Of War and Joseph O’Brien in action (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)
Despite his best efforts, he was unable to break his father’s Classic losing streak when coming within a quarter of a length of glory in California 11 years ago.
Other than Mick Kinane’s agonising neck defeat aboard Giant’s Causeway at Churchill Downs in 2000, that is the closest in terms of distance that Aidan O’Brien has come to Classic glory.
“It was a fantastic run and I was very proud of the horse,” continued Joseph.
“It was frustrating to be beaten by the fine margin we were, but it was a great run from a very tough horse.
“Riding on dirt was great and it helped I had a very good horse. The race went very smoothly and he almost won, so it was a fantastic experience and felt special to go as close as we did.”
Oratorio and Kieren Fallon in action (Mark Lees/PA)
Another rider to participate in the Classic aboard an O’Brien hopeful is the legendary Kieren Fallon, who finished down the field aboard Oratorio at Belmont in 2005.
The six-time champion believes that although City Of Troy is arguably the best horse in the race with the best trainer and jockey on his side, it is the challenge of dirt that could ultimately prove the colt’s downfall.
“He will have to be handy and they are going to hassle him – you know what the Americans are like, it’s speed, speed, speed,” said Fallon.
“It’s going to be difficult and we’ve hardly won it before, Raven’s Pass was on the synthetics which is a totally different ball game.
“I know City Of Troy has gone round Southwell with some stablemates but that is only a drop in the ocean compared to what he will face around Del Mar.
Kieren Fallon sees Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien as positives to City Of Troy’s Classic bid (Mike Egerton/PA)
“He’s by far the best horse in the race and he has the best jockey in the world on him – and of course Aidan O’Brien is his trainer – but it will be difficult and I wouldn’t be rushing to back him.
“He will never have faced anything like this in his life and if he gets back five, six, seven deep and with all the speed on the outside then it will be difficult. If he gets back too far I can’t see him facing the kickback because it’s wet dirt and he will be backing off.”
He went on: “I remember riding Hold That Tiger at Santa Anita on the dirt and he was by far the best horse in the race. He flew home to finish third but he just wouldn’t face the kickback, it’s very hard to face.
“City Of Troy is by Justify and that will be a little help, but other than that I think it will be tough. It would be great to see and I hope it happens, but I would be afraid to have a few quid on him myself.”
One team who have tasted Classic glory in the past – albeit on the Pro-Ride surface – is John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, who combined with the aforementioned Raven’s Pass to take home the trophy at Santa Anita in 2008.
Jockey Frankie Dettori (left) and John Gosden won the Classic together in 2008 (Tim Goode/PA)
That victory, when ironically getting the better of O’Brien’s Henrythenavigator, remains Europe’s most recent success in the Classic and the Clarehaven handler, who was once a California resident and knows the west coast tracks well, has offered the master of Ballydoyle his wisdom ahead of City Of Troy’s Del Mar date with destiny.
Gosden said: “I talked to Aidan after York. If you’re drawn on the inside you must break alertly and with a horse like him, if he got a clear run to the back, they probably wouldn’t catch him and he would outclass them.
“But our horses are not used to dirt hitting them in the face and that’s what they will be trying to avoid.”
Meanwhile, Dettori will be in opposition to the Derby winner aboard Bob Baffert’s Newgate in the Classic and although keeping his cards close to his chest, admits the Irish raider’s presence adds an extra dimension to the big race.
He said: “Nobody knows how City Of Troy will handle the track, but he’s bringing a lot of spice to the Classic this year.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/267263754-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-10-31 15:07:322024-10-31 15:07:32Joseph O’Brien expecting Classic show from ‘right type’ Troy
Saeed bin Suroor knows just how hard it is to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and says City Of Troy will be a “real champion” if he can succeed in his quest to conquer the dirt at Del Mar.
Just like Aidan O’Brien, Bin Suroor has tried many times to get his hands on the showpiece event and similarly to the master of Ballydoyle, the Godolphin handler has come up short with some of the best he has ever trained.
Both have come closest to landing the prize in editions won by Tiznow, with O’Brien seeing Giant’s Causeway thwarted by a neck at Churchill Downs in 2000 and a year later it was Sakhee’s turn to fall agonisingly short as the Classic’s only dual winner held off Bin Suroor’s Arc hero by a nose.
Bin Suroor has also seen the top-class pair of Swain and Thunder Snow hit the frame in the 10-furlong event and feels those defeats prove not only how difficult the Classic is to win, but also how good City Of Troy will need to be to triumph in California.
As we approach the 40th Running of the Breeders' Cup, we've reached the top 5 #BreedersCup Moments!
Tiznow somehow understood that he was carrying the pride and will of an entire country upon his wide withers in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) just 46 days after the… pic.twitter.com/cxUl7UbPl6
He said: “City Of Troy is a star and what he has done in Europe is amazing. I think everyone is looking forward to seeing him run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“The quality of racing at the Breeders’ Cup is different class, the cream rises to the top and the quality of horses that head there from Europe and America to run in those races is amazing – if City Of Troy wins he will be a real champion.
“Sakhee, Swain and Thunder Snow all ran there and got beat and it shows you how tough this race is to win.”
Bin Suroor has won countless races on the dirt over the years and, although Sakhee was testing his credentials on dirt for the first time in his own Classic bid, the majority of his string would be proven on the surface before heading into uncharted territory.
Thunder Snow is another to tackle the Classic for Bin Suroor (John Walton/PA)
However, the four-time champion trainer has been impressed by what he has seen from the exceptional turf performer of his generation and is keen to see how City Of Troy will fare when the son of Justify tackles dirt for the very first time in his Stateside swansong.
“I’ve won the Dubai World Cup nine times and the majority of times these are turf horses, but you have to give them a chance,” explained Bin Suroor.
“Myself, I would run them in Group races on dirt before running in the big races and then you would know if they handle the dirt or not, but looking at City Of Troy’s pedigree he will be fine.
“His breeding is like a dirt horse, but his runs on turf have been brilliant. He is class on turf, but his breeding shows he could handle the dirt.
City Of Troy will bid for Breeders’ Cup Classic glory at Del Mar (John Walton/PA)
“For most horses you have to try them on dirt and see how they handle it, but for the majority of class horses they will handle it – if they are good enough, they can also do it in the dirt.”
If City Of Troy was to prosper in the Classic, then he will not only join an elite band of horses able to showcase their best on a variety of surfaces, but also cement his legacy as one of racing’s very best.
“Not always do you get horses who can run so well on both surfaces, maybe only a few like Thunder Snow who won the Dubai World Cup on the dirt and two Group Ones on turf in France,” explained Bin Suroor.
“Thunder Snow finished third at the Breeders’ Cup and it is always very tough racing, especially the Classic. People are looking forward to seeing how City Of Troy will do and it will be great if he could win.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/277862086-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-10-31 12:01:232024-10-31 12:01:23‘It will be great if he could win’ – Bin Suroor rooting for City Of Troy
Aidan O’Brien gave a clear indication on Wednesday that City Of Troy would be ridden to avoid any kickback in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, while stating his superstar colt’s free sweat during and after his routine exercise on Tuesday was a good thing and of no detriment.
The Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner is closing in on his date with destiny on dirt against the best of America – and Japan – this weekend, and as is well-documented will be racing away from turf for the first time.
Ridden again by Rachel Richardson in more or less replicating the exercise he had on Tuesday when emerging from quarantine, the son of American Triple Crown hero Justify also went through the starting gate, and O’Brien was in an upbeat mood afterwards.
He said: “We put them through the stalls in bunches of threes and fours and they did a canter similar to yesterday, just a fraction quicker.
“American gates look bigger, but when you get in them, they are not, they are actually a little more claustrophobic. So, the horse’s reaction has to be quicker, as they will feel every vibration and they just come alive.
“It’s an impulsive thing and if they think for a split second, it’s going to be too slow.
“Ryan (Moore) will probably be going forward to try to keep him away from the kickback. We will all learn very quickly how it’s going for him, but he’s really come alive and he has a nice draw.
“He just cantered seven furlongs today before he went through the stalls and tomorrow he will go a little bit further and faster.”
The sweat on City Of Troy was noticeable on Tuesday, but there was no sign of the same thing on this occasion. And in any case, O’Brien was not in the slightest bit concerned.
He added: “He sweated yesterday and I feel it’s better when they sweat, no matter what people say. You want him to warm up if he’s cold behind, it’s a normal reaction.
“If everything falls right for him, we will see what happens. We think we’ve done all we can, but there are only so many variables you can cover without blowing their mind.”
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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That is a mantra that ultimately worked for Gary Stevens in pursuit of the elusive Breeders’ Cup Classic victory he craved.
It took the Hall of Fame rider 15 attempts to get his hands on the Breeders’ Cup showpiece and he can fully empathise with Aidan O’Brien’s so far fruitless quest to end his own Classic hoodoo as he prepares to saddle the all-conquering City Of Troy at Del Mar.
Stevens had resigned himself to the fact the Classic would forever elude him after hanging up his saddle for a second time in 2005, with the 1993 defeat of Bertrando by French raider Arcangues epitomising the American’s fortunes in the 10-furlong event.
However, he would finally collect the final piece of his career jigsaw, heroically returning to the saddle in 2013 and going on to form a winning partnership with Kathy Ritvo’s Mucho Macho Man as the duo stormed to Classic victory at Santa Anita that same year.
“The Classic is a great race and going way, way back I was second on Bertrando, it was a race I had several seconds and a race I didn’t have on my mantlepiece at home, but so wanted,” said Stevens.
“I thought it just wasn’t meant to be when Andre Fabre’s Arcangues beat me at huge odds. I was coming through the stretch and I see a shadow and I’m thinking ‘who the heck could this be’ and being honest, I didn’t know what horse it was when he passed me except it was ridden by Jerry Bailey. I realised it was the French horse and Arcangues and I was thinking ‘oh my god’.
“When I came out of retirement and was able to win it on Mucho Macho Man, it was finally meant to be.”
Stevens had already had a taste of the silver screen long before getting his own Hollywood moment aboard Mucho Macho Man, with the Idaho native receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of jockey George Woolf in the 2003 movie Seabiscuit.
Gary Stevens had a long career in the saddle (Fiona Hanson/PA)
However, Stevens predicts City Of Troy will be receiving the plaudits in California, with the 61-year-old confident the Irish raider is the “real deal” and ready to go where no O’Brien horse has gone before and end the Ballydoyle trainer’s long losing streak in the race.
“I’m really looking forward to this year’s Classic and I think that Aidan O’Brien is finally going to get his first Classic win,” said Stevens.
“I really think he has the right horse this time, he was unlucky with Giant’s Causeway and that was a great race against Tiznow and Mick (Kinane) had some troubles through the stretch with Giant’s Causeway losing his balance a bit.
“I’ve been following City Of Troy’s career closely and I loved what he did at Southwell. I know he was working with what was potentially a B team – if there is such a thing at Aidan O’Brien’s – but I loved the way they set it up with the fast pace and what Ryan (Moore) did.
City Of Troy and trainer Aidan O’Brien (left) (Steven Paston for the Jockey Club/PA)
“I think he learned a hell of a lot during that gallop and over here on this side of the pond, a lot of people are sceptical but I think he is the real deal. I think he is going to enjoy the dirt surface with the way he moves and he can jump out well.
“We’ll know within the first half mile what the outcome is going to be I’m sure, and if he jumps well, he is forwardly placed. All the major work has been done and it’s just a case of him getting over and hoping everything goes well for him.
“It’s by far the race I’m most looking forward to this year, which it should be. It’s called the Classic for a reason.”
City Of Troy’s Breeders’ Cup Classic dream moved a step closer on Tuesday morning after he encountered the Del Mar dirt for the first time under the watchful eye of Aidan O’Brien.
Bar his 2000 Guineas blip, the son of American Triple Crown hero Justify has carried all before him this season, with victories in the Derby at Epsom, the Eclipse at Sandown and Juddmonte International at York cementing his status as the cream of the crop in Europe.
He faces an altogether different test on his swansong in California this weekend, as he bids to transfer his brilliant turf form to an alien surface against the best America has to offer, not to mention serious competition from Japan.
Following a period in quarantine, all eyes were on City Of Troy in the hands of his regular work rider Rachel Richardson, with the three-year-old sitting second in a string of 11 Ballydoyle inmates plus Donnacha O’Brien’s star filly Porta Fortuna.
While no serious questions were asked in a steady canter, O’Brien was pleased with how City Of Troy – who did appear to get a little warm on his neck – traversed the track in behind the Breeders’ Cup Turf-bound Luxembourg and is now counting down the days until his date with destiny on Saturday.
“City just did a gentle canter round. Everyone was very happy and I’m happy that the dream is alive,” he said.
“The boss (John Magnier) went and got Justify, which hatched the dream that we might get a horse that can do it on grass and dirt. He was an incredible Triple Crown winner and I feel City has a lot of his qualities.”
With his pride and joy seemingly well drawn in gate three, O’Brien has made no secret of the fact City Of Troy will be ridden more aggressively than ever before.
He added: “City will go forward and Ryan (Moore) will decide there and then (how to play it).
“We’ve looked under every stone and we’ve done everything we can. When he went to York he went forward and then he was even more forward (in a racecourse gallop) at Southwell. So we will see what happens, but it’s left to Ryan to make his own mind up.
“We know when the race happens it will be the fiercest that any thoroughbred can be tested in, and he’s a three-year-old.
“The Classics are the ultimate test of a three-year-old racing against his own age group, but this is the ultimate test at the end of the year after being trained very hard for Classics and then against older horses in a race run on a different surface and o a different continent.
“He will literally canter for four days out here and I suppose what gives us hope is we think he’s the best we’ve ever had and we have had horses that have run very well in the Breeders’ Cup Classic before.
“Obviously it’s a dream and one for which we must wait and see if it comes true.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/87ca6b38-9f53-4dac-abfa-6f379e8d85f6.jpg8001600Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-10-29 17:51:352024-10-29 17:51:35Classic-bound City Of Troy gets first taste of Del Mar
Todd Pletcher is relishing the opportunity to take on City Of Troy with his star colt Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.
While Aidan O’Brien’s Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International hero will be tackling dirt for the first time in California, Fierceness is well proven on the surface, having landed the Florida Derby and the Travers Stakes since his brilliant display in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile 12 months ago.
Pletcher, who won the Classic with Vino Rosso in 2019, insists he has “tremendous respect” for City Of Troy, who is of course a son of the American Triple Crown hero Justify – but he also has plenty of belief in his own horse ahead of Saturday’s showpiece.
Can Fierceness be the first Juvenile winner to come back the following year and win the Classic? pic.twitter.com/MUFMNrkdoN
“I don’t see the track as being an issue. He likes Santa Anita, which isn’t dissimilar, and I feel the main task we have is to work out a good trip for him,” the trainer said on Monday.
“This is a talented group of horses but he’s travelled well and settled into his surroundings as I hoped he would.
“He’s a very straightforward horse to work with, he’s very laid back, and while he can occasionally get fired up in the paddock, aside from that he’s always been easy to deal with.
“We have tremendous respect for City Of Troy as well as for Aidan’s high regard for the horse. But we know full well that this will be a different kind of race than he has ever run in, even taking into account that he’s by Justify.”
Todd Pletcher has high hopes for Fierceness (Neil Morrice/PA)
The only disappointing run of Fierceness’ season to date came in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, the same day as City Of Troy suffered the only defeat of his career in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Reflecting on his Kentucky Derby effort, Pletcher added: “He didn’t jump well and he was wide most of the way. Nothing went according to plan.”
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