City of Troy

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to Snowfall (Jpn) in a deep field of maidens at the Curragh. 13.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ROCK OF CASHEL (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore from a Ballydoyle trio in this maiden used by Aidan O'Brien for...

Irish Derby weekend kicks off at the Curragh on Friday and there are no shortage of potential talking points. From highly-regarded juveniles, intriguingly-bred newcomers, stars of the future and potential banana skins, all of the ingredients are there to make the action on the track absorbing and informative. Here are some things to keep an eye out for.  Twomey Tipped To Begin Derby Weekend With A Bang The opening two-year-old maiden on Friday has the potential to be a cracker and the Paddy Twomey-trained Admiral Churchill (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) is...

Following his impressive victory in the G1 Derby, City Of Troy (Justify) now sits alongside Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in joint-second position after the fourth edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2024 were released on Thursday. City Of Troy earned his rating of 123 when defeating Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) by two and three-quarter lengths at Epsom, fully confirming the promise he showed when unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old. G1 Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River (Into Mischief) still tops the rankings with...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features the breeze-up topper from Goffs for the same connections as multiple Group 1-winning Vandeek. 18.10 Windsor, Novice, £9,950, 2yo, 6f 12yT ADRESTIA (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) debuts for KHK Racing and the Simon and Ed Crisford stable, who combined last year with Havana Grey's G1 Prix...

Unbeaten two-year-old and G1 Derby winner City Of Troy is set to make his next appearance in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown on Saturday, July 6, it was confirmed in a statement on coolmore.com on Sunday. The son of Justify also had the option of running in the G1 Irish Derby the previous weekend, but his connections have decided to drop back in trip for the Sandown feature instead, with Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) set to take his place at the Curragh having finished a creditable third behind...

Saturday's G1 Derby winner City Of Troy (Justify) and progressive four-year-old Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) head the betting for the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. A total of 40 horses remain in contention for the first big clash of the generations in the middle-distance division, which will be run at Sandown on Saturday, July 6 and offers total prize-money of £750,000. Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 was the last Derby winner to follow up in the Eclipse and trainer Aidan O'Brien identified this race as...

For the second year running, the G1 Epsom Derby winner was bred from one of Coolmore's countless Galileo (Ire) mares outcrossed to an American sire line. But whereas Sunday Silence's son Deep Impact (Jpn) gave Auguste Rodin (Ire) further turf genes from his mother's European family, City Of Troy's sire is a conduit for virtually unadulterated dirt blood. Justify's first four dams are, respectively, by grandsons of Deputy Minister, Seattle Slew, Northern Dancer and Bold Ruler. The third of those names, of course, transformed the European breed, albeit alongside other...

On the 15th anniversary of the passing of Vincent O'Brien, his successor at Ballydoyle, Aidan O'Brien, extended his record at Epsom to 10 wins in the Derby. Vincent O'Brien's daughter and son-in-law Sue and John Magnier were not at Epsom on Saturday but several of the late, great trainer's grandchildren were in the winner's circle to greet City Of Troy. Their own family is now so strongly enmeshed with the man who shares their grandfather's surname but is no relation to the creator of Ballydoyle. Just like City Of Troy,...

Deira Mile (Ire) could be pointed towards the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby after his fourth-placed effort in the Epsom Classic. The Owen Burrows-trained Camelot (GB) colt was fourth in the Futurity Trophy last season and began this year with a taking four-length victory in a Windsor novice. At Epsom he stepped up to a-mile-and-a-half for the first time and started at 28-1 for the Betfred-sponsored Derby, where he was ridden by Jim Crowley and drawn in stall 14 of 16. Though the running of the race did not favour...

Roger Teal is eyeing up a crack at the Coral-Eclipse for Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) who ran with credit to finish sixth in the Derby on Saturday. Having already run a huge race this season to be an unlucky second in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Dancing Gemini was stepping up to a mile-and-a-half for the first time at Epsom. Drawn in stall 15, Dylan Browne McMonagle had to take his medicine and found himself at the back of the pack before working his way into contention with a...

After successfully claiming redemption in the G1 Betfred Derby on Saturday, City of Troy (Justify) has returned to his homebase at Ballydoyle and is going well since arriving late that evening. Aidan O'Brien's stable representative Chris Armstrong gave a positive report for the Derby victor, adding that the goal is to gradually build him back up to full training. "City Of Troy obviously flew over yesterday and got back last night at 10pm. He pulled out well this morning, went out, had a hand-walk and a pick of grass, had...

EPSOM, UK -- This is what vindication looks like: a usually composed superstar trainer with a hint of tears in his eyes, his chest heaving, the emotion a bit too much. City Of Troy was Aidan O'Brien's 10th Derby winner - but this one felt different. It would be ludicrous to say his credibility was on the line, but his words certainly were, and perhaps his judgment, at least in relation to last year's No 1 two-year-old, whose balloon had popped three furlongs out in the 2,000 Guineas. O'Brien has...