City Slickers

CITY OF TROY (USA) 124p

b c Justify – Together Forever (Galileo)

“There is no doubt he is the best two-year-old I’ve trained.” Not an unusual quote from a trainer but coming from Aidan O’Brien it seems quite the statement concerning City Of Troy, who became his trainer’s eighth Dewhurst winner in mid-October with a performance that confirmed his standing as the top-rated juvenile of 2023 and the highest-rated for some time.

Having had to miss his intended debut in a Curragh maiden on Guineas weekend due to an allergy, City Of Troy made an impressive start on Derby weekend over seven furlongs, hitting the line so strongly that Ryan Moore had difficulty pulling him up. Just a fortnight later he obliterated a decent field for the Superlative Stakes at the Newmarket July course, again powering away inside the final furlong. Having missed the National Stakes due to ground concerns, City Of Troy travelled to Newmarket for the Dewhurst, this time over the Rowley course. Despite misgivings over the soft going, City Of Troy handled it no problem and showed a much greater level of form, making all and once again lengthening away from his rivals inside the final furlong. Connections are adamant his powerful, long stride will be even more effective on a sound surface and he goes into winter quarters a short-priced favourite for both the Guineas and Derby.

Coolmore’s continuing search for a stallion from the Scat Daddy line, which in recent years has been centred around No Nay Never, seems to have shifted towards Scat Daddy’s Triple Crown-winning son Justify. No Nay Never’s progeny seem to have stamina limitations but the Belmont winner should give City Of Troy a much greater chance of seeing out the Derby trip, although it should be noted that City Of Troy’s dam Together Forever, winner of the Fillies’ Mile at two, didn’t quite stay the Oaks trip.

Aidan O’Brien

HENRY LONGFELLOW (IRE) 118p

b c Dubawi – Minding (Galileo)

Like his stablemate City Of Troy, Henry Longfellow was unbeaten in three starts, all coming over seven furlongs at Curragh Racecourse. A fluent maiden success in late July was followed by another comfortable win in a poorly-contested Group 2 Futurity Stakes and then, with ground concerns for City Of Troy, he was diverted from a Dewhurst bid to the National Stakes. where he gave the Futurity second Islandsinthestream a much greater beating in what was admittedly a disappointing turnout of just four, his chief rival Bucanero Fuerte running way below his best.

The bare form of the National Stakes leaves him some way off City Of Troy but nonetheless he looks an equally exciting prospect, and in stallion terms arguably a more valuable one.

The best son of Dubawi to have gone through Ballydoyle, he is out of the yard’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Minding, herself a sister to another Oaks winner in Tuesday, also winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and an Irish 1000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine. Bred to relish the Derby trip, he could emerge Ballydoyle’s main Epsom hope if City Of Troy comes up short on the stamina front. He also has plenty of speed for a Guineas bid and it will be interesting to see if Ballydoyle keep the top colts apart. Henry Longfellow could head for the French 2000 Guineas.

Aidan O’Brien

BUCANERO FUERTE (GB) 117

b c Wootton Bassett – Frida La Blonde (Elusive City)

In a breakthrough season for Amo Racing, Bucanero Fuerte gave them their first juvenile winner at the top level, and trainer Adrian Murray his first at any age, when winning the Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh in August. That was the colt’s third success at the venue following a maiden win on the opening day of the season and when rallying to get up on the post in the Railway Stakes. The son of Wootton Bassett encountered easier ground when upped in trip in the National Stakes the following month but raced too keenly and didn’t get home, probably not helped by his stablemate setting too strong a pace. He is well worth another shot at seven furlongs but there must be serious doubts over him getting the mile, his brother Wooded having won over seven but producing his career-best when winning the Prix de l’Abbaye over five.

Adrian Murray

OPERA SINGER (USA) 114p

b f Justify – Liscanna (Sadler’s Wells)

Opera Singer put up the best performance by a juvenile filly in Europe when blitzing the field in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, dominating from flag-fall. The step-up to a mile on her previous start had brought about serious improvement when winning a Group 3 at Curragh Racecourse and under that positive ride with stamina proven at ParisLongchamp, she came on again. She is the third juvenile Group 1 winner bred by her dam, following the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It A Bomb and the Cheveley Park winner Brave Anna, both by War Front.

Their dam, Liscanna was a smart sprinter for David Wachman, the next dam Lahinch won a Guineas trial over seven furlongs. Opera Singer could well stay 1m2f as a three-year-old and she deservedly heads the betting for the 1000 Guineas.

Aidan O’Brien

UNQUESTIONABLE (FR) 113

b c Wootton Bassett – Strawberry Lace (Sea The Stars)

Unquestionable gave Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore their sixth win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, always nicely placed in a strongly-run contest and asserting well inside the final furlong in beating stablemate Mountain Bear. That was the colt’s first win since a Curragh maiden win on Guineas weekend but in between he ran to a smart level of form when only touched off on the post by Bucanero Fuerte in the Railway Stakes, and in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on Arc weekend, racing keenly in a strongly-run race and ultimately outstayed by Rosallion inside the final 100 yards. The tight mile around Santa Anita bears no resemblance to the test that awaits at Newmarket or The Curragh but there must be a good chance he’ll stay, although at the moment he looks a bit below the top table at Ballydoyle.

Aidan O’Brien