City of Troy

Despite never having raced on the dirt in his two seasons at the races, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' City of Troy (Justify) was assigned gate three as the 5-2 morning-line selection in a full field of 14 and will be ridden by Ryan Moore in Saturday's $7-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. Deemed by trainer Aidan O'Brien--a two-time runner-up in the Classic (Giant's Causeway, Declaration of War)--'the best he's ever trained,' the son of G1SW Together Forever (Ire)...

Multiple Group 1 winner 'TDN Rising Star' City of Troy (Justify) was the first horse into the quarantine barn from the 11-horse Saturday evening ship-in for Ballydoyle at Del Mar, as per a Breeders' Cup release, which references information from the International Racing Bureau. The Aidan O'Brien-trained star is scheduled to make a first appearance on track Tuesday morning. Many of the European horses used the weighing scale in the quarantine barn and connections are reporting positive prognoses for their runners. The arrivals will remain in quarantine until Monday afternoon...

Champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) will join the ranks at Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced via release Sunday. The champion juvenile from 2023 is a leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and will likely be one of the favorites at post-time. Of the others, Coolmore will have two other rooting interests as well with 'TDN Rising Star' GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and 'TDN Rising Star' MG1SW-Eng City of Troy (Justify) in the race. That group accounts for three...

Bolstered by a record 80 entries from the connections of horses based overseas--smashing the previous mark of 60 set just last year--some 212 horses have been pre-entered for the 2024 Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2. For the third time, the festival will take place at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which hosted the event for the first time in 2017 and again in 2021. "The record number of outstanding international contenders pre-entered this year speaks to the truly global nature of...

All season we seem to have been marvelling at 'another brilliant ride by Ryan Moore.' But the man himself chuckles at the idea that this has been a special year for him. "I suppose looking back there've been good days, but you only remember the last day," he says. "We didn't win the Arc - so it doesn't feel satisfying at the moment." As he says it, he really is laughing at how a recent disappointment can obscure the glories. This is life in the super-elite of world sport, where...

Donnacha O'Brien is looking forward to taking on the boys with Porta Fortuna (Ire) when she bids for her fourth top-level victory of the campaign in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2. The daughter of Caravaggio has been on a roll since returning to action this season with a narrow defeat to Elmalka (GB) in the 1,000 Guineas, subsequently reeling off a Group 1 hat-trick in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. All roads now lead...

City Of Troy, arguably the most talked-about horse in training, will retire to Coolmore Stud in Ireland after his date with destiny in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 2.  The highest-rated son of Justify, City Of Troy produced one of the most impressive Derby-winning performances in recent times and followed up on his Epsom heroics with victory in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International. Aidan O'Brien's star will not race beyond his three-year-old campaign and, in a statement issued by Coolmore on Saturday, the trainer commented, "He's...

Last month's G1 Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is now ranked in a joint-fifth at 123 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday. The William Haggas trainee defeated the 122-rated Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) (120) in the Irish showpiece. Also rated 123 are the GI Travers Stakes hero Fierceness (City Of Light) and the 2024 multiple Group 1 winner Rebel's Romance (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Laurel River (Into Mischief), a winner of the...

Aidan O'Brien provided a positive bulletin on Ballydoyle star City Of Troy (Justify) after he galloped at Southwell last month. The Coolmore partners' talented son of Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is gearing up for start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. "He's very good. We were delighted with him at Southwell and everything has gone very well with him since," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He's started his build up now and so far everything seems good." The bay is riding a three-race winning streak, having claimed...

Respect. It really is that simple. If we want to be involved with horses in sport we must treat those animals who give us either our pleasure or livelihood - or both - with decency and dignity. There are rogue elements, of course, but it is how the majority of people involved in horseracing feel and act, be they breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys or fans. Perhaps the most touching embodiment of this was witnessed during a recent visit to Sapporo racecourse in Japan, where there is a shrine alongside the...

If the first half of the Flat season is for graduation ceremonies, this is the bit where Masters and PhDs are handed out. To see Ryan Moore sit so beautifully on City Of Troy - and this year's best horse race round Southwell so fluidly - was to feel a surge of anticipation greater than before his seasonal reappearance for the 2,000 Guineas.  We all love spring and the history-laden game of labelling three-year-olds 'Classic' winners. But sorry, late summer and autumn is when we really get ready to rumble....

City Of Troy (Justify), who bested older horses in the G1 International Stakes at York last out, now holds a rating of 130p by Timeform, three pounds clear of his closest rivals pointing to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November. The Aidan O'Brien colt, who races for the Coolmore partners, participated in a racecourse gallop at Southwell on Friday. Next on ratings is GI Travers Stakes/GI Florida Derby winner Fierceness (City Of Light) at 127, five pounds better than GI Kentucky Derby third and second Forever...