By Tom Frary
Fresh after a small break, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's Title Role (Too Darn Hot) showed he could handle the heat to take Monday's G2 Coolmore City Of Troy German 2000 Guineas at Cologne.
Having beaten Godolphin's subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas third Pacific Avenue and exciting prospect Talk Of New York in Meydan's Listed Jumeirah 2000 Guineas, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained relative of Courage Mon Ami had been fifth in the G3 Greenham Stakes over an inadequate seven furlongs.
Settled against the rail by Sean Levey early, the 23-10 favourite was produced to lead approaching the furlong pole and despite veering left held on to score by 1 1/4 lengths from compatriot Shayem (King Of Change) who had finished 10 lengths behind Constitution River at Chester last time. Loucas (Best Solution) fared best of the domestic runners, another half length away in third.
“It was pretty straightforward,” Levey said. “They went hard early and he got into a rhythm on the rail, showed a nice turn of foot and sustained it all the way to the line. My first ride in this Guineas was for Coolmore and it's nice to have been given the opportunity by the Crisfords.”
🇩🇪Coolmore City of Troy German 2000 Guineas
Cologne – Groupe 2 – 3 ans – 1600m – 11 Pts – 125 000 €🏆 🥇Title Role (m3) (Gb) 🏇Sean M. Levey @LeveySean
🥈Shayem
🥉Loucas📖(Too Darn Hot (Gb) @DarleyEurope – Valiant Girl (Gb) par Lemon Drop Kid… pic.twitter.com/dGjhCFOZN5
— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) May 25, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Title Role's dam Valiant Girl (Lemon Drop Kid), who captured the GIII My Charmer Handicap and sadly died recently, is a full-sister to the G2 Hardwicke Stakes winner Bronze Cannon and to Crimson Ribbon, whose six black-type performers include the Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (Frankel) and Saturday's G3 Bronte Cup winner Danielle by Frankel's son Cracksman.
Also kin to the G2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Across The Stars (Sea The Stars), Valiant Girl is the second dam of last year's G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Calendar Girl (Advertise). She has a pair of Cracksman runners still to represent her in the progressive four-year-old Valedictory, who took a valuable handicap at Goodwood on Saturday, and the two-year-old filly Lupin's Girl.
Sunday, Cologne, Germany
COOLMORE CITY OF TROY GERMAN 2000 GUINEAS-G2, €125,000, Cologne, 5-25, 3yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:34.33, gd.
1–TITLE ROLE (GB), 128, c, 3, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Valiant Girl (GB) (GSW-US), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Victoria Cross (Ire), by Mark Of Esteem (Ire)
3rd Dam: Glowing With Pride (GB), by Ile De Bourbon
1ST GROUP WIN. (90,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT; 500,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd; T-Simon & Ed Crisford; J-Sean Levey. €70,000. Lifetime Record: SW-UAE, 7-4-1-1, €270,478. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shayem (Ire), 128, c, 3, King Of Change (GB)–Sounds Of April (Ire), by Exceed And Excel (Aus). (€12,000 RNA Ylg '24 TATIRY). O/B-Abdulrazaq Mohamdi; T-Karl Burke. €28,000.
3–Loucas (Ger), 128, c, 3, Best Solution (Ire)–Lucy Lou (Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB). O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen; T-Waldemar Hickst. €15,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, HD. Odds: 2.30, 10.40, 8.60.
Also Ran: Lord Clover (Ire), Asker (Ger), Aktivist (Ger), Lost Signal (Ire), Nardos (Ger), Silver Impact (Ire), Sonic Boom (Ger), Simply Best (Ger).
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