By Robert Yates
Brilliant horses like City Of Troy (Justify–Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) are always on the line when it comes to reputation and aura and there was no disguising the fact that Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International represented his moment of truth regardless of prior achievements. Despite coming to York as a clear-cut 2-year-old champion, an impressive Derby winner and the current holder of an Eclipse, there was a tension in the atmosphere on the storied Knavesmire expanse that was accompanied by threatening and brooding clouds and a strange autumnal air.
As if awaiting some kind of symbolic execution for Ballydoyle's mighty one in a place once renowned for its gallows, the faithful who attend this annual celebration of excellence/bonfire of vanities hung in suspense as to what racing's new wunderkind would deliver. In the event, it was all over after the first furlong with Ryan Moore allowing the 5-4 favourite to utilise his greatest weapon and let his stride do the talking.
If there was any fear as to how making the running would unfold with the 2,000 Guineas disaster still fresh in the memory, it was quickly dispelled with City Of Troy able to relax into smooth sectionals at the head of affairs. Turning the screw from three out, he had all in trouble bar the high-class Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) but even that scintillating G2 King Edward VII Stakes winner failed to really test him as he continued with his irresistible momentum.
City Of Troy's final three splits of 11.02, 11.22 and 11.67 were sufficient to break the track record of Sea The Stars (Ire) by almost a second, with Calandagan also dipping below the old benchmark as he surrendered by a length. The French raider's 10.75 from three to two out was outstanding and his penultimate one of 11.01 gave connections of the favourite cause for concern, but the damage had already been done. Jeff Smith's G1 Eclipse Stakes third Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) became the latest to uphold the much-maligned Sandown form, 3 1/2 lengths further adrift in third.
“He has natural pace out of the stalls like Giant's Causeway had, but quicker but what happened in the Guineas frightened us and we didn't want to do that any more,” Aidan O'Brien explained. “We wanted to drop him in and teach him to relax and do all the right things, but it was in there wanting to come out and he did it with Ryan unplanned today.”
“It was incredible what he did there and the last half of the race, what he was doing was incredible, I thought he went through the line really strong,” he added. “I'm obviously always saying too much about him, but they are saying he smashed the course record there and it didn't go according to plan. Ryan decided to make the running on him and what an incredible ride he gave him.”
CITY OF TROY makes all in a stellar running of the £1.25m Juddmonte International! @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/H5CKF7kCCM
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2024
“We always felt he was something very different,” O'Brien said. “Things haven't gone right for him some days, but he still overcomes them which makes it very special. He is a horse who loves to be up with the pace and a strong pace and he gets it really well. He stays, he is tough and we're hoping the lads might go to the [Breeders' Cup] Classic with him, that would be some dream.”
“He is the best I have trained and we always thought that. He is the most special horse we've ever had. We went off the road the first run this year and right into the swamp, but for him to come out of it and to get to where he is today is incredible.”
“I think we'll see the best of him when he bounces out very strong and is left to roll, he gets into a massive tempo and keeps going,” O'Brien continued. “People will measure his stride, but the length of it in the last two furlongs is incredible really. That's what he was like at two, he just keeps going and Ryan said he went through the line very strong.”
“I know Ryan would love to do the Arc and anything is possible–you need a very special horse for the Arc and that is what Ryan always thought he was, but it will be discussed. After the first day we ran him this year, we had to re-do everything to get him back doing things right but today what we were trying to contain at two just came back out naturally.”
“We wanted to keep him sharp, as we had the Classic in our mind, so we didn't want a slog anywhere. The last day didn't go right, the ground was soft and the pace was slow so we were hoping for beautiful ground and a flat track. It's incredible the condition of the track, when we walked it, it didn't feel good-to-firm, they've done an incredible job with the cover of grass.”
Francis-Henri Graffard said of Calandagan, “It was a fantastic run. They jumped very fast and then they took a pull and that didn't suit us, as we found ourselves quite far from the lead. He tried my horse, the way he quickened in the straight, it was fantastic to watch. I shouted as I was thinking we were coming to get him, but he kept pushing and he is a champion.”
“I'm very proud of our horse. It is the first time he has run in a group 1 and we didn't have any group 1 form before, so there were still a lot of question marks but the way he accelerated in the straight was fantastic and he is a very good horse. He can come back to Ascot for the Champion Stakes, we will speak to the entourage obviously, but we know he doesn't mind soft ground. There are plenty of options. We'll see how he comes back, because I think he gave a lot of his heart on the racecourse today. I think he's a horse that wants a big, galloping track.”
Clive Cox said of Ghostwriter, “It was definitely the race of the year and I'm very proud of how my horse has acquitted himself impeccably, enjoying the drier surface. Full marks to Richard Kingscote for the ride he gave him from stall 13 and I'm highly delighted with the run and proud to be part of it. We've always believed in him, he was an incredible 2-year-old, these dreams always felt possible and thankfully he's confirming those possibilities. I think a mile and a quarter is his trip and I don't think we'll be searching to take him further.”
Pedigree Notes
City Of Troy's dam's Together Forever captured the G1 Fillies' Mile before producing five black-type performers from her first five foals. The first three by Way Front are headed by the G3 Tyros Stakes winner Military Style, while her 2020 foal Bertinelli by Justify was third in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup in Hong Kong. She is a half to the Oaks heroine Forever Together (Ire) and a half to Speightstown's G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox Stakes and G2 Mill Reef Stakes-winning sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown).
The third dam Chain Fern (Blushing Groom {Fr}) is a full-sister to the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Al Bahathri, who produced the GI Yellow Ribbon Invitational winner Spanish Fern (El Gran Senor) and is the ancestress of the GI Santa Anita Handicap hero Heartseeker (Ire) (Giant's Causeway). This is also the family of the 2,000 Guineas and G1 Champion Stakes hero Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}). Together Forever's unraced 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo is named Takemetothemoon (Ire), while she also has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) and a filly foal by Into Mischief.
Wednesday, York, Britain
JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL STAKES-G1, £1,250,000, York, 8-21, 3yo/up, 10f 56yT, 2:04.32, g/f.
1–CITY OF TROY, 127, c, 3, 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)
TDN Rising Star. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £708,875. Lifetime Record: 7-6-0-0, $3,028,555. *Full to Bertinelli, GSP-HK, $327,857; and 1/2 to Military Style (War Front), GSW-Ire; Absolute Ruler (War Front), GSP-Ire; and King Of Athens (War Front), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Calandagan (Ire), 127, g, 3, Gleneagles (Ire)–Calayana (Fr), by Sinndar (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. £268,750.
3–Ghostwriter (Ire), 127, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Moorside (GB), by Champs Elysees (GB). (100,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE). O-J C Smith; B-Norelands Bloodstock & Irish National Stud (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £134,500.
Margins: 1, 3HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.25, 6.50, 33.00.
Also Ran: Bluestocking (GB), Durezza (Jpn), Royal Rhyme (Ire), Docklands (GB), Maljoom (Ire), Israr (GB), Ambiente Friendly (Ire), Zarakem (Fr), Alflaila (GB), Hans Andersen (GB).
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