Kentucky-bred City of Troy made it consecutive G1 victories with a win in Saturday’s Eclipse S. (G1) at Sandown. His latest score follows on the heels of his impressive triumph in the Betfred Derby (G1) in his previous outing.
Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, City of Troy was bred by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt, and he is trained by Aidan O’Brien. City of Troy is a son of Justify out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Together Forever (IRE).
“It was tough, deep ground,” O’Brien said in The Guardian. “In all fairness to the lads (in the Coolmore Stud ownership syndicate), 15 years ago, they would have taken him out. “We’re lucky that they enjoy racing so much now that they wanted to be here, and they wanted him to run. He’s a beautiful, good ground horse, a real fast-ground mover, so he won despite the ground.”
With the win, City of Troy joins an elite group of just five horses in the last half century to have turned the rare Derby-Eclipse double, including Mill Reef (USA) and Nashwan (USA).
As for next possible targets, O’Brien suggested that the International Stakes (G1) at York in August could be on tap, while the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar in November remains a long-term objective.