The first Epsom Derby winner sired by the esteemed American stallion Justify, City Of Troy, faced a challenging path to victory as he navigated around a loose horse during the race.
City Of Troy staged a remarkable comeback, putting behind his disappointing performance in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, to clinch the Betfred Derby (G1) at Epsom on June 1.
For jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O’Brien, it was a familiar feeling of success, marking their fourth and tenth wins, respectively, in the Premier Classic.
The race witnessed drama at the start when Voyage unseated jockey Pat Dobbs, leading to a loose horse running alongside the early leader, Euphoric. As the field approached Tattenham corner, Euphoric began to fade, allowing stablemate Los Angeles to assume the lead as they entered the straight.
Meanwhile, Lingfield Derby winner Ambiente Friendly surged into contention down the centre of the track, while City Of Troy mirrored his advance along the far rail. Approaching the furlong pole, City Of Troy asserted his dominance, ultimately pulling away convincingly to secure the victory.
Reflecting on the race in an interview with ITV immediately after, Moore remarked, “It was hard to know what would happen today, but I was very sure we had the best horse. At Newmarket, it didn’t happen and we can’t pretend we knew it would happen, but we do know he has a big engine."
“In the Guineas, we got a few things wrong, but it’s great that he could come back today. He was still a little bit immature, it’s the first time he’s run around a bend and hopefully, there’s plenty more to work on. It was sensational. He was going to win very easily and then with the loose horse in front of him, he was still a bit unsure, but he galloped out strong. He quickened well and kind of waited so you’d have to be delighted with what happened today.”