Unbelievable as it may seem, history’s most successful Derby trainer affirmed his expertise and shocked the world when City Of Troy clinched a sensational Betfred Derby victory at Epsom last Saturday.
This comes just weeks after the same colt, once hailed as the next big sensation in horse racing, faced a crushing defeat in the 2,000 Guineas that left many doubting Aidan O’Brien’s decision to persistently back the horse. Many saw this as a hollow reassurance intended to maintain the horse’s market value. Despite this, the unwavering confidence exhibited by this prolific Derby trainer still managed to convert numerous skeptics, resulting in City Of Troy being a 3/1 favourite.
Following the turnabout of Auguste Rodin from a Guineas disappointment to a Derby champion the previous year, history remarkably repeated itself. City Of Troy managed to overtake Ambiente Friendly by nearly three lengths, with another horse from O’Brien’s stable, Los Angeles, finishing third.
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With this remarkable success, O’Brien has now amassed an astounding ten Derby victories, surpassing the famed jockey Lester Piggott. This represents a splendid affirmation for the 54-year-old stalwart of horseracing, who confidently proclaimed City Of Troy to be the superior among his ten ‘Blue Riband’ wins.
Even though O’Brien has trained celebrated racing legends like Galileo, High Chaparral, and Australia, not many were inclined to contest his assertions given the circumstances.
This represents an incredible revolution for the offspring of Coolmore stallion Justify. Known as ‘our Frankel’ by the Coolmore stable in recognition of a superb juvenile career, the horse’s swift progression through the field and the exceptional force with which he crossed the finish line captivated many.
While his two-year-old career was marked by consistency, his faltering performance at Newmarket had drawn criticism. However, his incredible victory at Derby once more affirmed his remarkable potential.
City Of Troy’s exceptional talent may yet see the horse challenging America’s finest on dirt this summer, but for now, the hype over whether he is O’Brien’s greatest ever horse is reignited. Prior to the race, the unfavourable positioning of the horse in the first stall triggered some unease, however, it ultimately turned out to be of little consequence with only Voyage, who had unseated his rider at the gate, ahead of City of Troy at the finish line due to sheer doggedness.
The horse’s remarkable turn of fate in a prestigious race was indeed extraordinary, even by Auguste Rodin’s standards, leading to O’Brien speculating that this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the 245th Derby winner’s capabilities.
O’Brien candidly admitted the mistakes made during his training at the Guineas, including not being thorough enough in his preparation, which resulted in the horse being unprepared and overly energetic. However, he pointed out that they have learnt from that experience, taking note of the horse’s impressive abilities, which have been showcased beautifully ever since.
The renowned trainer, who holds the record for the most successful career in the sport, did not gloat about this particular victory. Instead, he subtly expressed the immense satisfaction derived from this achievement.
O’Brien revealed that even though Ryan found the horse to be somewhat immature and inexperienced during the race, the stunning pace and abilities City of Troy possesses were apparent, which is exhilarating for all involved.
There’s no doubt in O’Brien’s mind that City Of Troy stands out amongst all his Derby winners because of his speed, balance, acceleration, and stamina. He reflected on how the horse continued its gallop past the finish line on his maiden run at the Curragh and that he did the same at Dewhurst, even when the ground conditions were not to his liking. According to O’Brien, the horse is simply incredible.
“For us, Justify represents the epitome of equine excellence. Indeed, we had Galileo, a magnificent stallion, but Justifys are almost Galileos amplified in terms of class. Their gait, their mental abilities, their movements – all are notably superior, making them even more impressive than Galileos, as seen and experienced by us daily,” remarked O’Brien.
Moore celebrated his fourth Derby win, his prior uncertainties dissolving during two and a half minutes of impressive racecraft. “The horse displayed tremendous potential in his two-year-old phase, though we misjudged a few aspects during the Guineas. We managed to correct these, thanks to Aidan, without losing our confidence in the horse. We stood by our strategic plan and it bore fruit,” expressed the English sportsman.
“If he performed as per our expectations, we were confident of his superiority over the rest; and indeed, he was,” he added.
And yet, it was Michael Tabor, co-owner and the man who first brought forward the ‘our Frankel’ view, through which a significant part of City Of Troy’s career has been examined, that best encapsulated the prevalent sentiment.
“Moving forward, the numerous possibilities with this horse mean everything; it offers immense enjoyment and that’s paramount. Aidan claimed this is the finest horse we’ve ever had, and reality bears it out,” he commented.
Although famed for his abstemious habits, O’Brien is unlikely to partake in the more hearty celebrations in honour of the City Of Troy’s comeback. Nonetheless, this level of professional achievement is bound to provide him with a sense of exhilaration.