- City Of Troy’s was unable to cap off a magnificent year in Breeders Cup Classic
- Aidan O’Brein’s superstar suffered from a poor start and ultimately finished 8th
City Of Troy’s quest for equine immortality ended in frustrating anti-climax as he finished a well-beaten eighth in the Breeders Cup Classic.
Aidan O’Brien’s superstar had been the subject of huge interest before the $7million showpiece in Del Mar, as he attempted to become the first Epsom Derby winner to transfer outstanding turf form to the attritional demands of American dirt.
On this occasion, however, it was a bridge too far. Sierra Leone, who like City Of Troy is owned by Coolmore, outgunned Fierceness in a pulsating battle as Ryan Moore couldn’t work the magic that had propelled him to thrilling successes at Sandown and York as well as Epsom.
It had been a superb evening for two British stables, as Ralph Beckett’s speedball Starlust took the Sprint and Charlie Appleby’s globetrotter Rebel’s Romance landed the Turf, becoming the first horse to reclaim the $5million contest after his success in 2022.
But everything was about City Of Troy, who was taking on specialist horses in their own backyard. Opinion was split on whether he could deliver and, within a furlong of the gates exploding open, those who believed in him knew their fate.
City Of Troy was unable to cap off a magnificent with a crown jewel at the Breeders Cup Classic
The superstar colt suffered from a poor start and ultimately finished eighth at Del Mar
Sierra Leone rallied late to win the $7million prize in Saturday’s showpiece event
City Of Troy fractionally got the start wrong and, with that, he was on the back foot. Usually such a fluent and effortless mover, jockey Moore needed to chivvy his partner along and as he tried to get his equilibrium, his rivals had galloped clear and created a buffer that ultimately proved impossible to bridge.
He was seventh as the field went past the winning post the first time and had dropped a place by the conclusion a circuit later. O’Brien, who had become the joint winning most trainer at the Breeders Cup on Friday evening when saddling a double, took the defeat on the chin and blamed himself but Moore, whose navy blue silks were covered in dust and dirt from the kickback of the surface, looked disconsolate, knowing that City Of Troy – who now retires to stud in Tipperary – had not been able to show his full potential.
This was O’Brien’s 18th attempt to win The Classic, going back to Giant Causeway’s agonising defeat in 2000, but he immediately vowed that he will not give up trying to find a way of landing a race that is becoming a holy grail for him.
‘He lost it at the start,’ said O’Brien. ‘Obviously I didn’t have him prepared to come out quick enough. We thought we did but we didn’t, he missed it and just left Ryan with no chance.
‘He was coming home very well but his race was over at the start. Incredible horse, it was so sporting of the lads (owners Coomore) to let us run him in this race, and what can I say? For us he’s been the most incredible horse and I would think, what happened there, was straight way, the gates opening.
‘It was a privilege and a pleasure to have him and we’ll look forward to his foals.’ O’Brien’s disappointment was in stark contrast to Godolphin trainer Appleby, who was as proud as punch with Rebel’s Romance, a six-year-old who has won Group One races in all corners of the globe.
Speaking following the race Aidan O’Brien took responsibility for City Of Troy’s poor showing
‘A horse like this, he’s a superstar, he really is,’ said Appleby. ‘You watch him run around there and you really feel it. You want him to win.
‘You see horses like him running around there and you really feel it because you want him to win.’
There was, unfortunately, a desperate footnote to the Turf. Jayarbe, trained in Manton by Brian Meehan, collapsed after the line and never regained consciousness. His connections were bereft.
