“We've Never Had A Horse Like This.” City of Troy Seals Champion Status in the Dewhurst

The horse that doesn't get tired. The most unusual of all the Rosegreen “unusuals”. By the time TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify–Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) hit the line with his trademark force in Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S., we were dealing with a colt who prompts excitable talk. The kind not heard in these parts since 2010, when a certain local legend continued his irresistible trajectory in this very prize. After Frankel (GB) put an unreachable star in racing's heavens, here we have one who can at least feed the impossible dream during a winter of longing.

The facts? An all-the-way 3 1/2-length defeat of Shadwell's undoubtedly classy Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), with fellow TDN Rising Star Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}) another length behind in third and a Mill Reef and an Acomb winner beaten more than a dozen lengths. Six sub-12-second sectionals from the winner on ground that Aidan O'Brien reflected horses needed “tractor tyres” to plough through. Satisfyingly, we now have an unbeaten champion who is as versatile as he is brilliant. Facts are becoming monotonously impressive where Susan Magnier's colour-bearer is concerned and that is where the magic kicks in.

Is he as flawless as Sir Henry Cecil's parting gift? O'Brien, who was marking the unique occasion by recording an eighth victory in this prestigious juvenile endgame to join the 19th and 20th Century legends John Porter and Frank Butters, was not far off suggesting so. “You always see the bottom somewhere, but we've not seen it with this fellow,” he remarked with the kind of almost breathless excitement that all who were present on one of Newmarket's true glorious autumn afternoons understand.

Ryan Moore, who got to feel the remorseless power of his very own tremendous machine once again at first hand, came as close to raw enthusiasm as he is capable of during one of his always-measured post-race assessments. “For me, Frankel was the best racehorse I ever saw and stupidly I said privately on the July Course that I hadn't seen another horse do what this horse had since. That was a silly comparison to make, but he's a very rare horse,” he stated. “He is as exciting a two-year-old as I have ever ridden.” In the next few moments, he was to say “very, very good” twice. You get the picture.

City Of Troy. Brilliant in the Dewhurst Stakes 🚀

🏇 Three runs
🥇 Three wins
🏆 G1 Native Trail Dewhurst Stakes
🏆 G2 Superlative Stakes
😍 What a prospect@Ballydoyle | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/wo7HJP2EjH

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 14, 2023

Very quickly gaining a reputation for flouting the established rules of competition with what O'Brien now refers to as his “jet engine”, City Of Troy gave the internationally-renowned Moore the fright of his riding life on his Curragh debut where his performance past the winning post was even more notable than that leading to it. Preparing the metaphoric runway in advance the next time, Coolmore's steadfast pilot still needed the July Course's pull-up to stop the G2 Superlative S. winner from continuing on to The Links Golf Course.

Anchored by the sinking nature of 20mm of rain on ground that was already soft for Friday's action, City Of Troy was nevertheless still able to express himself and when he met that rising ground the propulsion that sets him apart was as visually striking as it had been in July. “Ryan said it was deep, tacky ground and completely not what he wants, but he has great power in his stride,” his trainer said. “You need tractor tyres for that ground and he has Grand Prix tyres, but he has the jet engine to push through and that gives us great insight for his training next year. He's not ground-dependant and we know he stays as well as having plenty of pace for the mile.”

When quizzed as to whether one of Justify's early offerings ranks above the yard's past 2-year-old giants Fasliyev, Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire), Hawk Wing, Churchill (Ire), Air Force Blue and Little Big Bear (Ire) the master of Ballydoyle had no hesitation. “No doubt,” he simply said. “We've never had a horse like this. He's always finishing and running out across the line and over the hill. He's all there. He has plenty of size and is so well-proportioned–I would imagine there are no real boundaries to his stamina. He has a beautiful mind, he's clear-winded, genuine and a good mover. He wasn't blowing much there, it is obviously part of his make-up. That is just the way it is. Thank goodness we ran him.” Amen to that.

The second chapter of the race was how well Alyanaabi performed, with the recurring story being the form of the Pat Eddery that again raised its head on this fixture. “Jim [Crowley] said he wasn't in love with the ground, but I don't think Aidan's horse was either,” trainer Owen Burrows said. “I'm very pleased and it was a good solid run. We said it was perhaps the ground [when fourth] at Ascot, but it might have been that he went a bit weak on us and he wasn't quite himself that day.”

“It is a long time until the 2000 Guineas and hopefully it will be faster ground, but it looks like Aidan's horse will be better on faster ground,” he added. “However, you can't run away from one horse. It hasn't dented my faith in him–he still remains a good horse and is up there as one of the best two-year-olds in this country.”
Shadwell's Angus Gold was also taken aback by City Of Troy. “I was incredibly impressed by the winner. He looked an absolutely gorgeous horse with a lovely attitude beforehand and I couldn't believe how well he moved on the ground,” he said. “Jim said he could see the winner and he looked like he was struggling on the ground and he thought he had a chance and then he just went away again.”

Pedigree Notes

It is now nine years since Together Forever saw off the future dams of Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Fillies' Mile at this meeting and she was always going to be one of the operation's premier broodmares. As if offering teasers with three useful sons of War Front and a smart initial Justify, the full-sister to the Oaks heroine Forever Together (Ire) and half-sister to the G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox S. and G2 Mill Reef S.-winning sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) has certainly produced the goods with this colt.

Her first foal King Of Athens was second in the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial, her second Military Style collected the G3 Tyros S. and her third Absolute Ruler was third in the G2 Champions Juvenile, before City Of Troy's year-older London Gold Cup-winning full-brother Bertinelli bettered them all in terms of performance when third in this year's King George V H. This is the family of Shadwell's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-winning luminary Al Bahathri, whose son Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}) was such an impressive winner of the 2000 Guineas and Champion S. at this venue. Her yearling filly is by Uncle Mo, while she also has a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire) and was bred to Into Mischief this year.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
NATIVE TRAIL'S DEWHURST S.-G1, £528,750, Newmarket, 10-14, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.85, sf.
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 GROUP 1 WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £299,854. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $451,293. *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–Alyanaabi (Ire), 129, c, 2, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Alyamaama, by Kitten's Joy. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. £113,681.
3–Eben Shaddad, 129, c, 2, Calyx (GB)–Galileo's Lady, by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. ($100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; €190,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled & Najd Stud; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-John & Thady Gosden. £56,894.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: Scratched: 0.53, 6.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Henry Adams (Ire), Haatem (Ire), Iberian (Ire), Array (Ire), Indian Run (Ire).