By Tom Frary
They may have missed out on the English Triple Crown this year, but Team Ballydoyle have another contender for that mythical pursuit in 2024 after TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify–Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) destroyed the opposition in Newmarket's G2 Superlative S. on Saturday. Allowed to stride to the fore by Ryan Moore with only Spanish Phoenix (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) ahead, the heavily-supported 4-6 favourite took command three out and went through the gears from there to issue a punishing 6 1/2-length defeat to Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), with another 3 1/4 lengths back to Oddyssey (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) in third.
“He's a very unusual and special horse,” Aidan O'Brien said of the winner, who had impressed with his attitude as well as his stride during his Curragh maiden win at the start of the month. “He has loads of speed and is happy to do whatever–he can go from the front or take a lead and can go with anything at home. He has that unbelievable rhythm and seems to just keep pushing it out and there doesn't seem to be any limit to his trip. He's a lovely-natured horse with that unusual demeanour and temperament. He has the stride and ability, speed and stamina all rolled into one.”
WOW!! 😍
We may have seen a future champion at @NewmarketRace as CITY OF TROY bolts up in the @bet365 Superlative Stakes under Ryan Moore!
Seven lengths the winning margin…what a performance! 👀 @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/Ya5IgNRvNY
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 15, 2023
“Ryan said what happened at The Curragh had never happened to him before–he galloped out after the line down to the wall as if it wasn't there and I knew he'd go early today as there isn't too long a run to the pull-up here!,” O'Brien added. “Then going by the line he started to go again and was heading off and I thought 'oh no!' I wasn't going to run him when the rain came, as he's a real good-ground horse but the lads said to run and find out how he goes on it with the future in mind.”
“Dean [Gallagher] has done an unbelievable job with him at home and he looks an incredibly special horse. He's exactly what John [Magnier] wanted from Justify, a true Classic horse. The [G2] Futurity, [G1] National and [G1] Dewhurst are all open to him. We backed him up a little bit quick here because the race came up for him and Little Big Bear was coming. The experience of coming over will stand him in good stead and we always like to try and travel them at two. He's got loads of speed and will go any distance, so there are many roads open to him.”
Pedigree Notes
Together Forever, who captured the G1 Fillies' Mile on the other course in town, was not a big mover during her Classic campaign and managed a fourth in the G1 Irish Oaks having trailed in seventh at Epsom. Her first three visits to War Front resulted in three black-type performers in Military Style, Absolute Ruler and King Of Athens with the former the most accomplished due to his success in the G3 Tyros S. Her fourth foal and first by Justify is the stable's high-class handicapper Bertinelli, the London Gold Cup winner who proved what talent he possesses when third under a stopping weight in Royal Ascot's ultra-competitive King George V S.
The second dam Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}) was out of a full-sister to the illustrious Al Bahathri and also produced Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) and Together Forever's full-sister Forever Together (Ire). The former was the winner of the G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox S. and G2 Mill Reef S. and was also placed in the G1 Dewhurst S., G1 Prix Morny, G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Lockinge S., while Forever Together was one of Ballydoyle's Oaks heroines. Together Forever also has a yearling filly by Uncle Mo and a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 SUPERLATIVE S.-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 7-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.03, g/s.
1–CITY OF TROY, 129, c, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Together Forever (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, SW-Ire, $318,729), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Chain Fern, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Mrs John Magnier, Mr M Tabor & Mr D Smith; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $87,346. *1/2 to Military Style (War Front), GSW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Haatem (Ire), 129, c, 2, Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)–Hard Walnut (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€28,000 RNA Wlg '21 GOFNO1; 27,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah; B-Hyde Park Stud (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £21,500.
3–Oddyssey (GB), 129, c, 2, Ulysses (Ire)–Last Echo (Ire), by Whipper.
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (10,500gns Ylg '22 TADEY). O-Pinnacle Thoroughbreds 3; B-Culworth Grounds Farm (GB); T-Patrick Owens. £10,760.
Margins: 6HF, 3 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.67, 8.50, 33.00.
Also Ran: Great Truth (GB), Son (GB), Spanish Phoenix (Ire), Metallo (Ire), Cuban Thunder (Ire), Quatre Bras (Ire). Scratched: Iberian (Ire).
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