Justify's City Of Troy is The Derby winner

Cover image courtesy of Racingfotos.com

After all the speculation leading up to Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs, City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) gave an emphatic and euphoric answer to grace Epsom's Blue Riband with one of its finest displays.

In huge contrast to Newmarket, where jockey Ryan Moore became embroiled in a half-mile drag race, the Champion Juvenile of 2023 was in a hack-canter from stall 1 so often a disadvantage but which for this talented colt turned out a blessing. Able to let the pace play out in front and tuck in on the rail a little worse than mid-division, the 3-1 favourite needed racing room heading to Tattenham Corner and with it at a premium his rider had to go all Calvin Borel which is such a risky tactic here.

Diving through the inner from three out, Aidan O'Brien's 10th Derby hero was in front a furlong later with only the loose Voyage (GB) (Golden Horn {GB})–who had unshipped his rider exiting the stalls–up ahead. Using his ground-devouring stride to power on from the smooth-travelling Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), he was able to open up a 2l margin on that Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner at the line, with Ballydoyle second-string Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) a further 3.25l away in third.

“I can't pretend that we knew it would happen, but we do know that he has a big engine, and he was a brilliant 2-year-old–it was a combination of little things the last day, but Aidan never lost belief in him, and it all worked out beautifully,” Moore said after steering his fourth Derby winner.

“We knew if he turned up, he was the best horse in the race and it's great that he could come back today. He was a level above all the horses, so he just had to put it all together and he did.

He's still a little bit immature, that's the first time he's run around a bend, and he still actually felt a little bit green in front over the last two furlongs–I never really got him organised and he was changing leads, so hopefully there's plenty more to work with.”

City Of Troy justifies hype

For all that City Of Troy had wowed with his sectionals as a 2-year-old, in hindsight we can now determine that they were impressive in the context of him being a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse in the making. Closer inspection of the speed with which he covered the first half of the G1 2000 Guineas shows that for a colt built as he is, it was unsustainable and while the Derby by no means represents a less serious test than that mile Classic, it was at least going to allow him to go through the motions in a more suitably prolonged and casual manner.

Casual was the watchword from the outset, with Moore notably easy and cool as he allowed the favourite to cruise on to the tail of the field already one down due to the misadventure of Voyage.

That runner's instantaneous misfortune was a reminder of the harsh nature of the fates, especially around here with all its complexities to navigate and by the time the field started the descent to Tattenham Corner luck seemed the be the key factor in this year's Derby.

All the visual signs from an early stage were that there was not going to be a repeat of his Newmarket nightmare for City Of Troy, so strongly was he travelling in Moore's hands, but for it to happen he was going to need to get out of the pocket he had ended up in. On the heels of Ambiente Friendly near the bottom of the hill, he was forced to momentarily take back and lost some momentum there as Los Angeles still moved with comfort on the front end.

Crossing the road at the top of the straight, Robert Havlin was motionless on the Gredleys' runner with Moore getting going in the saddle and a few strides later it was apparent who the main players were going to be this year.

As Los Angeles plugged on, Havlin had him covered but while he chose to sit and wait straightening for home, City Of Troy was up into his big paces and the length the runner-up subsequently lost in momentum three out was never coming back. As he had in his three juvenile starts, the winner was stretching out with gusto as the line neared as if the horror story of four weeks earlier had been only imagined.

This was the City Of Troy that had prompted comparison with a certain Juddmonte great that was never asked to go this far. This was a Derby winner to rate among the race's past celebrities. Now the 2024 Flat season is truly alight.

“He was going to win very easily ,but with the loose horse in front of him he was still a bit unsure before he galloped out strong,” his rider continued. “He quickened well and went to the front very easily and very quickly and then kind of waited–he was pricking his ears, then he changed his leads near the line and went on again. It was never going to be 100 per cent smooth with a field that size, where we were, but I was able to pick a path and he took me there early and easily and the race was over, and he was in control of it a fair way out.”

O'Brien kept the faith

If possible, Aidan O'Brien can now relax a touch after a torrid post-Guineas spell, and he was keen to stress the significance of the outcome for Coolmore and its faith in the winner's sire.

In the forty years that have passed by since Secreto (USA) became the last son of Northern Dancer (Can) to conquer this, there have been only two Derby winners by dirt runners and none from a deliberate, systematic breeding approach. The investment in Justify (USA) is large-scale and this was a considerable early pay-off. The biggest pay-off.

“The exciting thing for us is Justify–for us, Justify is the most incredible horse we have had,” the master of Ballydoyle declared. “He has looked very special all the way and the class that they have, speed as well as stamina, is amazing. The great stallion we had was Galileo. Justifys are Galileos with more class, which is a very hard thing to say, but we see it every day. The stride, the minds, the movement of them, they are quicker than Galileos, which makes them unbelievably exciting for us.”

Turning his attention to the winner, he said, “Ryan gave him an incredible ride and I'm so grateful to everyone for the work they have done. 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. I'd say no doubt he's the best Derby winner we've had, because he has the cruise, the balance, he quickens, and he stays.”

Originally Travers-bound, City Of Troy might be changing course if O'Brien's immediate thinking is a guide. “We had a plan, his first three races were the Guineas, the Derby and then Saratoga on dirt over 10 furlongs (in the Travers)” he said. “The lads will talk about that and talk to Ryan and decide what they want to do.

The only thing I'm not sure about is Ryan said he was very babyish today, so whether he would be able to deal with a race like that straightaway I'm not sure, but the lads will all talk and make that decision. It will be a hard decision for the lads. If he doesn't go, there are races like the Eclipse and the King George to think of and later on the Arc, as we know he stays very well.”

Michael Tabor was the one who called City Of Troy “our Frankel”, so this was a big pressure release for the longstanding partner of Coolmore. “It means everything,” he said. “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.”

Pedigree perfection

City Of Troy's Derby victory was the second in an Epsom Classic for the family within six years, with his dam's full sister Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) prevailing in a soft-ground Oaks for the stable.

The dam Together Forever, who never made it to the Oaks despite winning the G1 Fillies' Mile at two, has five black-type performers from her first five foals with the first three by Way Front (USA) headed by the G3 Tyros S. winner Military Style (USA). Her 2020 foal Bertinelli (USA) by Justify, who was third in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup in Hong Kong, is almost a prototype for the outstanding creation that followed a year later by the same sire.

Along with Forever Together, Together Forever is also kin to Speightstown's (USA) G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox S. and G2 Mill Reef S.-winning sire Lord Shanakill (USA) while the third dam Chain Fern (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}) is a full sister to the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Al Bahathri (USA) who produced the G1 Yellow Ribbon Invitational winner Spanish Fern (USA) (El Gran Senor {USA}) and is the ancestress of the G1 Santa Anita H. hero Heartseeker (Ire) (Giant's Causeway {USA}).

This is also the family of the 2000 Guineas and G1 Champion S. hero Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}). Together Forever's unraced 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo (USA) is named Takemetothemoon (Ire), while she also has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) and a filly foal by Into Mischief (USA).

The wash-up

Ambiente Friendly's jockey “Rab” Havlin was only able to bask in the prospective glory of riding a winner of the Derby for a few fleeting seconds coming off Tattenham Hill and reflected on his stolen moment afterwards. “I've ridden the race many times in my head the last week and it nearly worked like clockwork,” he said. “I thought I would still be travelling at the two pole, and he was travelling good, then I saw my worst nightmare coming up my left! He found plenty, but the winner found that bit extra.”

“I thought my only chance of beating Ryan was to go round the loose horse–he could have taken the two of us out if I went on his inside. He's been beaten by a better horse on the day and his best days are yet to come. He's still got some growing up to do mentally.”

Trainer James Fanshawe, who was saddling only a second Derby runner, added, “I'm really thrilled with his run, I thought coming to the two pole we had a real chance, but City Of Troy came back to his best. I still hope there's more to come from Ambiente Friendly, because he's not yet the complete article. His racing is going so much better, and he stayed the trip so well. We had a lovely run round, Rab had him in a good position, he travelled and as an immature horse he will hopefully keep on improving.”

Yet again, the Derby's lucky owner Ahmad Al Shaikh was in the mix with Deira Mile (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Sayedaty Sadaty (Ire) (Anodin {Ire}) in fourth and fifth respectively.

The former's trainer Owen Burrows said, “We felt he acted well round here, but unfortunately, he was a step slower out of the gates, and we were a bit further back than planned, but he made up a heck of a lot of ground. The standout horses have finished one-two-three. Jim (Crowley) said his last furlong was his best, so the Leger would be the plan, it's been in my mind all along.”