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| Staff Writer |
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Aidan O'Brien, the illustrious trainer, is banking on City of Troy to make amends for a lacklustre performance in the Gr.1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket as he gears up for the Gr.1 Epsom Derby on June 1. Despite the disappointing outing, O'Brien maintains unyielding faith in the Kentucky-bred son of Triple Crown winner Justify, asserting that City of Troy possesses unmatched ability among his past Derby contenders.
City of Troy, hailed as a juvenile sensation following a commanding victory in the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes , faced a setback at Newmarket, where he trailed in ninth out of eleven runners, a stark contrast to his previous triumph. O'Brien, however, attributes the lacklustre showing to pre-race jitters and under-preparation, taking partial responsibility for the subpar performance.
Despite the setback, City of Troy's supporters remain undeterred, with punters backing him as short as the 3-1 favourite for the Epsom classic. O'Brien remains hopeful that the Derby will showcase City of Troy's true potential, underscoring the colt's remarkable achievements and unwavering confidence in his abilities.
Reflecting on City of Troy's preparation, O'Brien acknowledges the missteps and emphasises the importance of learning from past experiences to ensure a strong showing at Epsom.
"For us, I'm not sure we ever sent a horse with as much ability to the Derby," O'Brien said. "Everything he was doing last year, the statistics were adding up. Even though he won a Dewhurst and only ran over seven furlongs last season, we knew he would be a middle-distance horse.
Everything has been good since Newmarket. He has done nothing since to make us change the plan to start in the Guineas and go to the Derby.
The Guineas were just one of those things. He went in the stalls last, and the way things worked out, he might have been better off going in a bit earlier, as when he went in, he spooked and reared. He wasn't flustered, but obviously, his mind wasn't in the right place, as he's a very calm and relaxed horse.
The Guineas weren't meant to be, and I hadn't prepared him properly, but what we learned will hopefully help us prepare him for the Derby.