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Aidan O’Brien has set his sights on the Breeders’ Cup Classic for his Coral-Eclipse-bound Derby champion City Of Troy. Despite a disappointing performance as the favourite at the 2000 Guineas, the colt showed his potential with a remarkable win at Epsom.
Being a descendant of American Triple Crown winner Justify, City Of Troy is thought to have equal prowess on dirt and turf, making him a strong contender for O’Brien's goal of winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Although plans for an early run on dirt at the Travers Stakes were put aside in favour of another horse, O’Brien remains determined to pursue a Classic bid later in the year.
“The plan is for him to go the Eclipse, he seems to be well since Epsom and we’re looking forward to the next day,” the Ballydoyle handler told Sky Sports Racing.
“The long-term plan is that he could go to America and they (owners) have the other horse for Saratoga in America for a race that City Of Troy was going to run in.
“He was a little bit green in Epsom and we just felt that maybe he wasn’t ready for that (America) yet. The lads are thinking he’ll go to Sandown and he’ll go to either York (Juddmonte International) or Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes) after that and then he could head out to America for the Classic.
Reflecting on his Derby victory, O’Brien added: “He’d never been dropped in in a race, he’d never raced around a bend and had never been anywhere like Epsom, which is very demanding at the best of times for seasoned horses, so it was probably incredible what he did.
“Ryan (Moore) gave him a great ride, he changed legs going to the line and took off again. He just clicked into gear again going by the line and Ryan was afraid he wasn’t going to get him pulled up!”
City Of Troy is set to compete at Sandown on July 6, while his stablemate Los Angeles, who finished third at Epsom, will aim for Classic success as the stable's top contender in the Irish Derby the weekend before.
O’Brien commented on Los Angeles, saying, “We were fortunate to have Los Angeles for the Irish Derby, and we were pleased with his performance at Epsom."
He added, "We believe that a mile and a half at the Curragh would be suitable for him. Despite being ridden prominently at Epsom, he still put in a strong performance, so we believe he deserves the opportunity to lead the charge wherever he races next.”