Who would have thought it? The most successful trainer in Derby history knew what he was talking about after all, as was proved to the world when City Of Troy secured spectacular Betfred Derby redemption at Epsom on Saturday.
The colt billed just weeks before as racing’s next generational talent had been such an abject 2,000 Guineas flop a month ago that Aidan O’Brien’s defiant insistence on keeping the faith appeared to many little more than an exercise in shouting into the wind.
Plenty were ready to write it off as sales talk for a horse with dented commercial value. Nevertheless, even the most sceptical though couldn’t ignore the vehement doubling down of the most successful trainer in Derby history and more than enough believers were ready to send City Of Troy off a 3/1 favourite.
And so, a year after O’Brien transformed Auguste Rodin from Guineas flop into Derby hero, lightning struck again, as City Of Troy swept through to beat Ambiente Friendly by almost three lengths with the winner’s stable companion Los Angeles in third.
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It was a staggering tenth Derby for O’Brien – one more than the legendary rider Lester Piggott – and sweet vindication for the 54-year-old maestro of Ballydoyle who declared “no doubt” when quizzed as to whether City Of Troy is the best of the ‘Blue Riband’ 10.
It’s quite a statement considering genuine champions such as Galileo, High Chaparral and Australia are on the most coveted roll of honour in racing, but one that in the circumstances had few prepared to argue.
This was a staggering transformation that looks to leave the son of Coolmore stallion Justify with the racing world at his feet. Acclaimed by his Coolmore ownership as ‘our Frankel’ after a spectacular juvenile career, the speed with which he sliced through the field was as eye-catching as the galloping power past the line when Ryan Moore was hard-pressed to pull him up.
That relentlessness was a feature of his two-year-old career which was so conspicuously absent at Newmarket but once again underlined an exceptional talent.
The extent of that talent could yet see City Of Troy diversify into taking on the best of America on dirt later this summer. But for now, the bandwagon around this horse being the very best O’Brien has ever had through his hands is firmly back on the rails.
Pre-race anxiety about an unfavourable inside draw in stall one proved unfounded with the most distinctive impact from the start being the outsider Voyage unseating his rider out of the gate. Ultimately only he was ahead of City Of Troy at the line and the latter’s determination to keep galloping meant even that ‘lead’ was on sufferance.
Even by Auguste Rodin standards it’s a jaw-dropping metamorphosis in a classic racehorse’s fortunes and with suggestions from O’Brien that it might only scrape the surface of the 245th Derby winner’s abilities.
“We knew the Guineas was totally wrong and I made mistakes training him, that’s the bottom line. There were stones I didn’t look under, he was too fresh, he was unprepared, he blew up, that’s the reality.
“But we learned from it and knew the ability he had – and since then everything has been beautiful,” O’Brien said.
If he had the good grace to not indulge in ‘told you so’ satisfaction, there was little disguising the particular fulfilment racing’s most successful ever trainer got from this particular success.
“The beautiful thing about it, Ryan said he was very green and very babyish through the race, he said he went there and couldn’t believe how green he was.
“The incredible thing is the cruise that he has and the ability that he has, it’s so exciting for everybody.
“I would say no doubt [that City Of Troy is the best of O’Brien’s Derby winners] because he has the cruise and he has the balance and he quickens and he stays; I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.
“The time we won our maiden with him he took off after the line at the Curragh, Ryan said he wouldn’t do it the next time and he did, and he did the same thing in the Dewhurst in ground that he didn’t like. He’s just an incredible horse.
“For us Justify is the most incredible horse. The great stallion we had was Galileo, but Justifys are like Galileos but with more class which is a very hard thing to say but we see it every day; their strides, their minds, their movements. They’re quicker than Galileos which is really exciting,” O’Brien said.
It was a fourth Derby victory for Moore who saw any pre-race doubts vanish throughout two and a half minutes of quality.
“I’m just delighted as he showed so much as a two-year-old, but we got a few things wrong on the day in the Guineas. Aidan’s got him back, we didn’t lose faith in the horse and stuck to the plan, and it’s paid off.
“We believed if he turned up like we thought he would he’d be too good for them and he was,” the Englishman said.
However, it was part owner Michael Tabor, the man who originally delivered the ‘our Frankel’ perspective through which so much of City Of Troy’s career has been interpreted, that summed up the prevailing mood.
“It means everything, going forward with all the options we have with this horse, it’s just something to enjoy, that’s the main thing. Aidan said this is the best we’ve ever had, and everything has come true,” he said.
The famously teetotal O’Brien mightn’t join in some of the heartier toasting to the resurgent City Of Troy. But supping on this kind of professional satisfaction will surely be intoxicating enough.
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