Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
August 20, 2024
Are you a believer?
The world of horseracing seems to be divided into two camps—those who believe in the second coming of Frankel and those who don’t.
City Of Troy has one blip on his CV, the 2000 Guineas. Aidan O’Brien blames himself for the failure, he got the preparation wrong, he says he was too believing of what he saw on the gallops which left him short of work for his first acid test as a three-year-old. He was spectacularly good in three runs as a juvenile, first time out at the Curragh he won his Maiden giving Ryan Moore a scare after the line when he had difficulty pulling him up. He then trounced the field in the Superlative Stakes beating Haatem 6½L and was a runaway winner of Dewhurst on soft ground.
He put the Guineas failure well behind when trotting up in the Derby over 1m4f beating Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles producing a devasting turn of foot to put the race to bed two furlongs from home. The second and third fought out the finish at the Curragh in the Irish Derby with Los Angeles overcoming Ambiente Friendly who lost second in the final strides when Sunway, a G1 winner last year got up to take second.
On the back of that expectations were then very high at Sandown for the Eclipse and all the talk before the race was of an exhibition over 1m2f. Soft ground blunted that yet he still won with plenty of authority beating Al Riffa 1L with Ghostwriter a further 1L adrift and Sea The Fire a distant fourth beaten 7½L. Whilst we didn’t get the wow feeling at Sandown it was nevertheless possibly his best run. Al Riffa has since hacked up in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin winning 5L and Sea The Fire was only beaten a neck at Goodwood in the G1 Nassau Stakes by Opera Singer with the Prix de Diane winner Sparkling Plenty running third ¾L behind Sea The Fire.
Fair to say the form of both the Derby and the Eclipse has worked out well. Note Los Angeles goes in the Great Voltigeur, the race before this.
It’s wonderful, yet surprising, that twelve horses are willing to take him, only two of which are Group 1 winners. The Japanese raider, Durezza won the Kikuka Sho, their Leger, over 1m7f last year and whilst not the best of what the Japanese have to offer it’s wonderful to see him come to the Kavesmire.
The other G1 winner is Bluestocking. She came up short last year in two Group 1’s running second in the Irish Oaks and the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes. This year she got her G1 at the Curragh when collaring Emily Upjohn a ½L in the Pretty Poly over 1m2f. She’s since run second to Goliath in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes over 1m4f.
Bluestocking winning the Pretty Poly Stakes at the Curragh
The argument in favor of believing is much more compelling than the one against it.
City Of Troy has already proven himself. He did it as a juvenile, he did it in the Derby and again in the Eclipse, a run he only has to reproduce to win this. On good to firm ground up York’s long straight, there’s every chance we can witness his full potential, get a real exhibition of his brilliance, something comparable to Frankel’s win here in 2012 when he annihilated Farhh and St Nicholas Abbey. Bluestocking can chase him home, albeit at a distance.
Recommendation
City Of Troy 6/5 win
City Of Troy / Bluestocking (Straight F/C)
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