City of Troy.....think he deserves his own thread!

Cots tendency to edge right can only be a negative at the breeders Cup plus until he has a spin on the dirt you've no idea how he will handle it. Ryan Moore superb jockeyship masks his tendency although I'm sure he must have had input in the decision to go to del mar. Good luck to them but would much rather see him in the turf as I could see him putting on a show there.
 
I had a quiet chuckle to myself reading the RP headline today with AOB claiming they can't go a fast enough gallop for COT.

Really?

What happened in the 2000 Guineas?

💩💩💩
 
Funnily enough the fav for the breeders Cup classic has very similar profile to cot. Stormed through 2yo career,blew out I first start at 3 then been very good since. Not only aob gets it wrong. Possibly over confidence and maybe needed a run like the craven to get him ready. Not aobs way it seems.
 
COT's sire & damsire are both proven dirt performers, and AoB knows enough about training and eqipment to sort any hanging tendency.
His biggest problem is probably gatespeed,as kickback can dis-orient the inexperienced, but both trainer dnd jockey have handled it succesfully in the past,and their record in the BC suggests they'll cope admirably,this time.
 
Completely agree re AOB and attention to detail. Just hope the hanging is just a recalcitrant trait rather than an underlying problem like George Washington 😢. And Del Mar is tight.

The early kickback is a worry and something the late Walter Swinburn highlighted as being our biggest reason for losing on the dirt. Our horses inevitably break slower so the kickback they face is greater. That said, he’s run a lot of horses over there and will be aware and on top of every single tiny detail.
 
I’m not disputing a high rating for Frankel, it’s rather 125 looks too low after today for City Of Troy. I’m used to the RPR scale and I suspect they’ll go close to 130.
City Of Troy’s performance at York has been given an RPR of 129+, which looks fair to me.
 
City Of Troy’s performance at York has been given an RPR of 129+, which looks fair to me.

And Calandagan who arguably deserves a decent mark-up, 127...

As I said elsewhere, I think the track played a huge part in how the races went.

I still have reservations about COT. I did say after the Derby that I thought he was a 130 horse waiting to happen but I'm not convinced that 130 happened last week and I still think he is a St Leger shoo-in but presumably since he blew out in the Guineas and the Triple Crown went with it they're looking for other ways to exaggerate his stud value.
 
There’s no chance of him running in the Leger, and unfortunately it doesn’t look like he’ll be running at Leopardstown either.
 
And Calandagan who arguably deserves a decent mark-up,

As I said elsewhere, I think the track played a huge part in how the races went.

I still have reservations about COT. I did say after the Derby that I thought he was a 130 horse waiting to happen but I'm not convinced that 130 happened last week
Yup

Yup

Yup
 
City Of Troy’s performance at York has been given an RPR of 129+, which looks fair to me.
The eyes have it over the figures on this one,imo.
He completely bossed a proper gp1 field,Ryan never had to get serious at all,using his whip to steer the horse,and was clearly a different class to the rest.
Reckon he has enormous potential to find more if pressed,and no amount of ratings or sectionals could put a figureon what he's likely to run to.
 
I find it very difficult to put a figure on City of Troy as he did it the hard way in the Juddmonte and never looked like losing.

AOB said he's the best he's ever trained and for once I don't think that's shed talk..he is a bloody good horse.

I've been out of touch a bit where to next.?

I see he's in the Irish Champion Stakes but surely he'll be aimed higher.

Anyway White Birch 7/1 could be a knocking bet for that if COT does not run.
 
see he's in the Irish Champion Stakes but surely he'll be aimed higher.
I don’t know what you could mean by that, you’re talking about one of the very highest rated races in the world.

Word is that he’s going for the Breeders Cup Classic after a spin around somewhere like Southwell.
 
It was a tremendous performance to make all at York. He probably matched the course record with it being shorter but carrying 4lb more which is some feat from the front considering there were 2 pacemakers when sea the stars set the record. Also although he had the tailwind in the straight it was against him for 2/3 of the race.
If it wasn't for magniers obsession with the breeders Cup which I just don't get, then he could easily have set a 135 figure in the turf. Plus of course we wont see him at 4 so he won't be able to further enhance his figures. He has a beautiful way of striding out and Ryan has tight hands on him as he looks a handful to ride plus he takes forever to pull up.
Very sad we won't see him after the breeders Cup. I can see the runner up at York winning a big one to put his performance in perspective.
 
I am fully behind the goal of getting a breeder's cup classic winner - do we really need another AOB horse mopping up group 1s like gravy - we get one most years? So trying to do something a bit different gets my vote.
 
Last edited:
He probably matched the course record with it being shorter but carrying 4lb more which is some feat from the front considering there were 2 pacemakers when sea the stars set the record.

32 yards shorter = approx 11 lengths = approx 20lbs, less the 4lbs more carried = 16lbs

That explains how a modest horse like Ghostwriter could break the old record.
 
Aidan used to take his horses to Southwell pre breeders cup. Is it a different surface now?
 
The fibresand has been replaced I believe which was no bad thing. Awful slow surface, like galloping through treacle.
 
I don’t know what you could mean by that, you’re talking about one of the very highest rated races in the world.

Word is that he’s going for the Breeders Cup Classic after a spin around somewhere like Southwell.
Gimme a break what on earth are you talking about

The Itsh Championship is worth $790k to the winner. A pittance compared to the $ 6million for the Breeders or the $3.4 million for the Arc
 
Back
Top