While City of Troy may have entered this year’s 2000 Guineas as the 4/6 favourite, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt only placed ninth in a high-quality field of 11.
This is despite the three-year-old taking hold early on – he weakened suddenly two furlongs out and tired in the face of intense competition.
Still, City Of Troy remains the ante-post favourite for the upcoming Epsom Derby on June 1st, and he also continues to be favoured ahead of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.
But when is City of Troy’s next race, and can he bounce back from his surprising failure in the 2000 Guineas? Let’s find out!
City of Troy recent form
City Of Troy has competed in four flat turf outings, with his ninth-place finish in last week’s 2000 Guineas snapping a three-race winning streak from the beginning of his career.
This was also his second outing at G1 level, with City of Troy having previously won the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 14th.
However, City of Troy’s recent defeat came in his first race in 2024. Interestingly, the 2000 Guineas also saw him compete over a distance longer than seven furlongs for the first time, and he seemed to struggle with the pace of the race across the one-mile course.
Aidan O’Brien’s representative confirmed that City of Troy tired as he reached the eight-furlong mark, which was arguably influenced directly by the race’s competitiveness and quick pace.
Can he come back from his 2000 Guineas flop?
These problems certainly raise red flags ahead of City of Troy’s next race and upcoming G1 outings, particularly the Derby, St James Palace Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot run over one mile, whereas the Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe take place on a one-mile, four-furlong course. So, if City of Troy is experiencing an issue with pacing over longer distances, he may find it hard to bounce back from his 2000 Guineas disappointment.
The good news for City of Troy fans is that Ryan Moore will likely ride the colt for the foreseeable future. Moore has an excellent working relationship with trainer O’Brien. He has a 21% win rate at Epsom and has placed with 22 (51%) of his 43 runners here since 2019.
He has also ridden 35 winners in 274 outings at Royal Ascot while recording 112 placed finishes at the same racecourse during the last five seasons.
Will City of Troy race before the Epsom Derby?
Prior to the Epsom Derby on June 1st, City of Troy is set to compete in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh. This G1 race is scheduled for Saturday, 25th May, at 15:40, while it will be run over one mile in good-to-firm going,
This will be the City Of Troy racehorse’s next race, providing an excellent test of the colt’s ability to perform over one mile in a high-quality field. It could also suggest whether his struggles in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket were merely a blip or indicative of a wider problem, and one that could encumber him in subsequent races.
City of Troy’s odds for his next races
Here at talkSPORT BET, we offer horse racing odds across a diverse selection of events. These include most of City of Troy’s upcoming races, including some of the most prestigious meetings in the UK calendar. So, here’s a glimpse at City of Troy’s latest odds and who he’s likely to come up against.
Epsom Derby
A week after his run at the Curragh, City of Troy will head to Epsom for the Derby. At the time of writing, City of Troy is the ante post favourite at 7/2*, ahead of Arabian Crown (4/1*) and stablemate Henry Longfellow (8/1*).
Interestingly, Arabian Crown is the only one of these runners to race over one mile or more during his career. In fact, he has won over one mile and two furlongs at Newmarket and Sandown in his previous two outings, while he has prevailed in his last four races since July 2023.
However, the Charlie Appleby-trained colt has never raced at G1 level before, so it has yet to be seen how he fares in exalted company at Epsom.
St James Palace Stakes
The St James Palace Stakes, scheduled for Tuesday, June 18th, at 16:20, will help kick off the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in 2024.
Interestingly, City of Troy’s odds of winning here have continued to drift of late, with the colt currently priced at a distant 8/1*. The Charlie Appleby-trained Notable Speech is the ante post favourite here at 7/4*, while Henry Longfellow is priced a little higher at 3/1*.
Notable Speech is the deserved favourite here, having won all four of his career rules races to date and beaten City of Troy convincingly in the Qipco 2000 Guineas last week. He rode well at Newmarket to power in front around one furlong from home before ultimately defeating Rosallion by 1 ½ lengths.
Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe
The iconic Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe will take place in early October 2024 at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. This is another stellar G1 outing, with City of Troy the early ante post favourite to win here at a current price of 10/1*.
Of course, this price will change significantly in the coming months, particularly with the City of Troy set to compete in several longer-distance G1 races in May and June. The experienced Auguste Rodin is expected to compete in Paris, too, although a recent 12th-place finish in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic last time out sees him priced at 20/1*.
Arabian Crown is also priced at 20/1*, while Ancient Wisdom may offer particular value at ante-post odds of 25/1*. He won his sole G1 outing at the Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster in December, too, so he will be one to watch at Longchamp.
Other Aidan O’Brien trained horses in the Epsom Derby
As we’ve already touched on, Henry Longfellow is another Aidan O’Brien-trained horse who will compete at the Epsom Derby and is also among the front-runners.
Diego Velazquez is another City of Troy stablemate and is priced at 10/1* to win the Epsom Derby. O’Brien’s other runners in the Derby include the three-year-old colt Los Angeles (who’s priced at 16/1* and has a G1 win at Saint-Cloud to his name) and Illinois. The latter is priced at 33/1* and may well see his price drift further in the coming weeks.
*Odds correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
City of Troy FAQs
While City of Troy is trained by Aidan O’Brien, the colt is owned by a combination of Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.
City of Troy has contested two G1 races, winning his first at Newmarket last July. However, he placed ninth in a field of 11 last time out in the 2000 Guineas Stakes and seemed to tire in the final two furlongs.
