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| Staff Writer |
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City Of Troy is heading to Southwell for a pivotal racecourse gallop on September 20, ramping up preparations for his tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic.
The son of Justify, trained by Aidan O'Brien, has been in scintillating form this season, securing a hat-trick of Group One victories including the Derby, Eclipse, and most recently, a blistering course-record performance in the Gr.1 Juddmonte International at York.
O'Brien and the Coolmore partners are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for Classic glory, with City Of Troy's upcoming Southwell workout designed to replicate full raceday conditions at Del Mar. The gallop will feature American-style starting stalls and a contingent of stablemates accompanying the star colt.
Chris Armstrong, representing O'Brien at Navan on Thursday, elaborated: "It's been confirmed this morning that City Of Troy will go to Southwell on September 20 for a racecourse gallop. We're delighted that Southwell have been able to accommodate the request and Aidan and all the team are pleased that it will fit nicely into his programme."
Armstrong continued, "It will be four weeks after York and will give him five weeks before he leaves for the Breeders' Cup. He will work with a group of horses over a distance of about a mile from American stalls with the bell ringing and it should leave him right for the Breeders' Cup Classic."
Southwell has previously played host to O'Brien's Breeders' Cup hopefuls. In 2000, Giant's Causeway utilised the track before his nail-biting runner-up finish in the Classic. The following year saw Derby victor and future influential sire Galileo follow suit, though his American venture proved less fruitful.
The Ballydoyle team is embracing transparency, with Armstrong stating, "Aidan and all the team are more than happy to open the doors to everyone and all racing fans and the media can watch the piece of work. It will be an experience for everybody and a bit like a normal raceday."
City Of Troy, unraced on anything but turf to date, will encounter Southwell's Tapeta surface for the first time. This exposure to a different track composition could prove invaluable in his preparation for Del Mar's dirt course.
Mark Clayton, Southwell's executive director, expressed his enthusiasm: "We are absolutely delighted to have Aidan O'Brien, as one of the leading trainers in the world, bring City Of Troy, one of the leading horses in the world this year, to Southwell. It's a testament to the track and the work we do as a team, but also to Tapeta and the surface they delivered us back in 2022, that we are trusted by Aidan to bring a horse of City Of Troy's calibre to Southwell prior to the Breeders' Cup."
The Breeders' Cup Classic, first run in 1984, has seen its share of European challengers over the years. Notable winners include Raven's Pass in 2008 and Arcangues in 1993, who shocked the racing world with his upset victory at odds of 133-1. The race, carrying a purse of US$6 million in recent years, represents the pinnacle of dirt racing and a formidable challenge for turf specialists venturing across the Atlantic.
As City Of Troy continues his march towards Del Mar, the racing world watches with bated breath. Could this be the year a European-trained colt etches his name alongside the greats of the American dirt?