City of Troy Spectacular in Juddmonte International Win

You can ask the analysts, the historians, and the handicappers but Tina Turner was the one whose instant verdict probably got it spot on. How good is City of Troy? Having "Simply The Best" blare out on the public address as he returned in triumph from a breathtaking performance summed it up pretty well. Nobody among those in the stands or rammed 10-deep around the winner's enclosure Aug. 21 seemed in any mood to disagree as they broke into spontaneous, prolonged applause for the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) winner. Nor was Aidan O'Brien, he of the record haul of British classics, in any mood to disagree when asked whether this was the best he has trained. "Yes, we thought that as a 2-year-old, we always did think it," said the man who has sent out countless group 1 winners since taking the helm at Ballydoyle in 1996, and was landing this prestigious event—upped in value to £1.25 million this year—for a record seventh time. "Everything he's done from the day we trained him suggested that. He was the most special horse we ever had." No one would have been surprised to hear those words at the end of the colt's unbeaten 2-year-old season, which culminated in a championship-clinching romp in the 2023 Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket. They might have rung a little hollow following his odds on ninth place in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) back there in the spring. But if the measure of a champion is how he picks himself up again after being knocked down, this is Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Joe Louis rolled into one. He looked good when bouncing back to land the Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown. And this was something special. Reverting to front-running, Ryan Moore set no more than a fair pace until the biggest-ever International field turned for home. For a stride or two, that looked as though it might give others a chance. But appearances were deceptive. Once Moore asked City of Troy for an effort two furlongs out, only Calandagan (IRE) ever threatened to go with him. And that threat petered out in the last 200 yards, with the winner passing the post a length clear and ducking 0.97 seconds under the course record. "I think he's shown he's a good horse," said the jockey, with masterful understatement. "I hadn't asked him until I got to the two and when I asked him I felt the second horse there at the one and a half—then in the last furlong there was no one there." It had not been a firmly held plan to make the running and Moore said: "He jumped well, I didn't see the point of taking him back. I let him get into a rhythm and it worked out well." O'Brien confirmed: "He jumped and hit the gates and Ryan decided he was going along. What happened in the Guineas frightened us and we wanted to drop him in and teach him to relax and do all the right things. But he did it with Ryan unplanned there today. "As a 2-year-old he was naturally very quick early and he dominated and kept going and that's what he did today. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride, he controlled it very well. I think we see the best of him when he bounces out strong and is let to rock. He gets into a massive tempo and he really keeps going. "The length of his stride in the last two furlongs was incredible. Ryan said he went to the line very strong." A front-runner who sees out a mile and a quarter very well is just what you need for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and City of Troy earned a trip to Del Mar with his victory should his connections opt for it. A Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event, the win in the Juddmonte International granted the son of Justify an automatic, fees-paid berth to the $7 million race Nov. 2. City of Troy is Coral's 3-1 favorite for the Classic, which O'Brien has yet to win. "The lads can do whatever they want but we always dreamed that he would be a Classic horse," the trainer said. "He stays, he's tough, we're hoping the lads may go to the Classic with him, that would be some dream for him." Reflecting on City of Troy's down-and-up season, O'Brien said: "The first day we ran him this year he went off the road and got smothered in the swamp, so we didn't know where we were. We had to go back and rethink everything. "For him to come back out of it and to get to where he is today is incredible."