A length is not, on the face of it, the winning margin of an outstanding champion. Frankel, after all, had seven to spare when he underlined his brilliance in the International Stakes here in 2012.
But some one-length victories are more equal than others and both the manner of City Of Troy’s success on Wednesday and the course-record time he recorded as he did so will ensure that his defeat of Calandagan in the 53rd running of this race will rightly be remembered as one of the finest of all.
Both City Of Troy, who won the hard way from the front, and Calandagan, who produced his trademark turn of foot but was still no match for the outstanding winner, broke the track record set by Sea The Stars – another of the elite International winners – in 2009.
But beyond the bare numbers of margin and time, it was the ease with which City Of Troy opened up and extended after setting a record‑breaking pace through the first mile that was truly memorable.
Aidan O’Brien, City Of Troy’s trainer, did not hesitate to confirm that he is the best he has trained, and while the ability to quicken after setting strong fractions is the mark of a champion on any surface, it is a particularly potent weapon on the American dirt which City Of Troy is bred to relish.
“The lads [in the Coolmore Stud ownership syndicate] can do whatever they want but we always dreamed he would be a [Breeders’ Cup] Classic horse,” O’Brien said.
“It wasn’t the plan today [to make the running] but he hit the gates and Ryan [Moore] just decided he was going along. I think we’ll see the best of him when he bounces out very strong and is left to roll, he gets into a massive tempo and keeps going.
“People will measure his stride but the length of it in the last two furlongs is incredible really. He just keeps going and Ryan said he went through the line very strong.”
O’Brien has had near-misses before in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, most famously when Giant’s Causeway – the 2000 International winner – went down by a neck to Tiznow, while Declaration Of War, successful here in 2013, was edged out in a three‑way photo at Santa Anita three months later.
City Of Troy, whose sire, Justify, took the US Triple Crown on dirt in 2018, is now a clear favourite at around 3-1 to fill the last significant gap on his trainer’s extraordinary CV. As a result, he seems highly unlikely to head to Longchamp for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, and could even go straight to Del Mar for his next start if “the lads” decide to go all-in for the Classic.
“Everything he did from the day we trained him, he was just the best,” O’Brien said. “Ryan contained him as long as he could in front, he didn’t want to over-race and it was only going to the two [furlong] marker that he really piled it on. We wanted to keep him sharp, as we had the Classic in our mind.”
You Got To Me can lift Oaks for Beckett
Three-year-olds have won eight of the last 10 runnings of the Group One Yorkshire Oaks and You Got To Me (3.35), the winner of the Irish Oaks at the Curragh in July, looks overpriced at around 9-2 to register another win for the Classic generation on the Knavesmire on Thursday.
Ralph Beckett’s filly was a keen-going front-runner in both the Lingfield Oaks Trial in May – which she won – and the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, where she was a close fourth after setting a strong pace to the two-furlong pole.
She was more patiently ridden in the Curragh Classic last month, when she was also racing with a tongue strap, and that was enough to get her over the line at Group One level for the first time.
That was only the sixth start of You Got To Me’s career and she has clear scope for further progress now that she can be ridden with more restraint. The Curragh form also gives her the beating of Content, who re-opposes on Thursday, and while Queen Of The Pride, the likely favourite, was an impressive winner of the Lancashire Oaks last time out, it was not a race with much strength in depth.
York 1.50 Only a couple of these juvenile fillies can be ruled out with confidence and Time For Sandals is a big price at around 10-1 with just two runs behind her so far. She ran on well into third in the Super Sprint at Newbury last month and will appreciate this return to six furlongs.
York 2.25 As ever, a wide range of ability on show in this sales race restricted to graduates of the Goffs Premier yearling sale but Arizona Blaze and Maw Lam stand out on their Group-race performances to date. Narrow preference is for Adrian Nicholls’s filly, who gets plenty of weight from her main market rival.
York 1.50 Time For Sandals 2.25 Maw Lam 3.00 Blue For You (nap) 3.35 You Got To Me (nb) 4.10 Satin 4.45 Angel Hunter 5.20 Miss Information
Lingfield 2.00 We’renotreallyhere 2.35 Delicacy 3.10 The Ferret 3.45 American Rose 4.20 Coast 4.55 Colors Of Freedom
Newton Abbot 2.10 Sirekoff 2.45 He’llstopatthetop 3.20 Obsessedwithyou 3.55 Matterhorn 4.25 Fashionelle 5.00 Northern Bound 5.30 Saxon Queen
Newcastle 5.45 Road To Wembley 6.15 Secret. Beach 6.45 Accrual 7.15 Lexington Knight 7.45 Al Rufaa 8.15 Heathcliff 8.45 Hickory
Chelmsford City 6.30 Fibonacci Sequence 7.00 Covert Mission 7.30 Fair Point 8.00 Dubawi Time 8.30 Doves Of Peace 9.00 Kento
York 3.00 A high draw in 17 is distinctly sub-optimal for the likely favourite, Elnajmm, so the track specialist Blue For You makes much more appeal at around 10-1 from his ideal berth near the rail. David O’Meara’s horse always saves his best form for this track and while he is now nudging a three-figure rating, a repeat of his third course-and-distance win here in July might well be enough.
Newmarket 1.35 Jowddah 2.10 Valiant Knight 2.45 Twilight Jazz 3.20 Promethean 3.55 Typical Woman 4.30 Golden Phase
York 1.50 Dream Harder (nb) 2.25 Point Lonsdale 3.00 Camille Pissarro 3.35 Bradsell (nap) 4.10 Invisible Friend 4.45 Ultrasoul 5.20 Native Warrior
Ffos Las 2.00 Eagle One 2.35 Gloryous 3.10 Diamondsinthesand 3.45 Kimchi 4.20 Iconique 4.55 Marmalade Lady
Goodwood 5.15 Papabella 5.50 Queen All Star 6.20 Crystal Casque 6.50 Crystal Flyer 7.20 Four Adaay 7.54 Beautiful Crown
Hamilton 5.35 Boston Run 6.05 Imperial Express 6.35 The Reverend 7.05 Surrey Mist 7.35 Moonstone Boy 8.09 Object
York 4.10 Sea Just In Time represents last year’s winning connections but she has a fair to find on her form to date to justify a price of around 7-4, so it could pay to side with the more experienced Satin. Jessica Harrington’s four-year-old was a fine third off 102 in the Old Rowley Cup last October and the booking of Ryan Moore is also a bonus.
