Irish Derby at the Curragh considered City Of Troy’s likely next target despite market support in Coral-Eclipse
CITY OF TROY looks likely to head to the Irish Derby at the end of the month, with the big race believed to be the preferred next target of his owners.
Aidan O’Brien’s star bounced back to his very best when running away with the Derby on Saturday, a month after his dreadful 2000 Guineas flop.
PACity Of Troy was an impressive winner of the Derby on Saturday[/caption]
It was unclear immediately after the Epsom Classic where he was going to run next, and the horse was cut into 3-1 favourite for the Coral-Eclipse by the bookies.
But the Irish Derby is very much in the sights of O’Brien and the Coolmore ‘lads’, and the colt is an odds-on shot for the big’un at the Curragh on June 30.
The team are keen to support the Irish Derby – which has taken plenty of stick for being uncompetitive and a poor relation to the English version in recent years – with the best three-year-old they have.
O’Brien said: “Ryan (Moore) said he took plenty of pulling up after the Derby and there was an endless amount in there.
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“He has all the options, Ryan and I will talk with the lads and they will make the decision.”
The colt is then likely to be trained towards the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on dirt at Saratoga in New York in August, with the race likely to set up a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The feature race at the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run at Del Mar this year on November, has long been the holy grail for Coolmore.
They have come close to winning it in the past, with Giant’s Causeway finishing an agonising second in 2000 and Declaration Of War a close third in 2013, but they reckon this horse is the chosen one, given his American pedigree.
City Of Troy silenced the doubters at Epsom last weekend, flying home from the tail of the field to win the Derby in brilliant fashion.
O’Brien has lavished the colt with praise since then and says he is the best he has ever trained.
It remains unclear when the runner-up, Ambiente Friendly will run next. He looks tailor-made for the Coral-Eclipse but will need to be supplemented at a cost of £37,500 as he does not have an entry.
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