Derby winner City Of Troy is ready for an audacious attempt to land the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the United States on Saturday.
The son of Triple Crown winner Justify has been aimed at a glorious farewell at Del Mar by Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien in his final race (21:41 GMT) before a breeding career.
City Of Troy has earned comparisons with the legendary Frankel and will seek an eighth win from nine races when he competes on a dirt surface for the first time after his previous victories on turf.
“This has always been the dream,” said record-breaking Irish trainer O’Brien, who has tried to to win the big race with 15 different horses since his closest effort 24 years ago when Giant’s Causeway was edged out by Tiznow.
“We know when the race happens it will be the fiercest that any thoroughbred can be tested in.
“This is the ultimate test at the end of the year after being trained very hard for Classics against his own age and then against older horses in a race run on a different surface and on a different continent.”
Rivals to Ryan Moore’s mount will include home hope Fierceness and Japanese contender Forever Young.
Only two European horses – the French winner Arcangues (1993) and British-trained Raven’s Pass (2008) – have won in 40 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The three-year-old City Of Troy’s sole defeat came when he disappointed in the 2,000 Guineas earlier this season.
He went on to win the Derby at Epsom, Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International at York.
After that last victory in August, O’Brien – who has saddled 10 Derby winners – said this was the best horse he had trained and confirmed the plan to switch surfaces and head for the Breeders’ Cup.
He set up a special gallop to prepare on the all-weather track at Southwell Racecourse, where American-style starting stalls were used.
A crowd of 1,000 spectators turned up just to watch the horse in a gallop, in a few minutes of action, with 5,000 tuning in for a live stream.
Leading British contenders at the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting include Bradsell, Believing and Big Evs in Saturday’s Turf Sprint.
Jockey Frankie Dettori, who relocated to the United States earlier this year, will be reunited with Emily Upjohn for trainer John Gosden in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
O’Brien warms up by equalling record
O’Brien warmed up for Saturday’s racing with two wins on Friday to equal the record for 20 winners at the Breeders’ Cup meeting.
Jockey Moore led home 3-5 favourite Lake Victoria in the Juvenile Fillies Turf before guiding Henri Matisse to victory in the Juvenile Turf at odds of 7-2.
Moore’s superbly timed ride on Henri Matisse drew O’Brien level with legendary US trainer D Wayne Lukas on the 20-winner mark.
It also ensured a seventh win in the race for the Irish trainer and his third in succession, after victories with Unquestionable last year and Victoria Road in 2022.
“It’s incredible. We all know what a special man Wayne is and it’s an honour to be anywhere close to his record,” O’Brien said.
Iron Man Cal took second in the Juvenile Turf, behind Henri Matisse and ahead of the Charlie Appleby-trained Aomori City, who had burst through the gates before the race began but was allowed to run.
Elsewhere, Citizen Bull (15-1) won the co-feature Juvenile race while the 2-1 favourite, Godolphin-owned Immersive, took the Juvenile Fillies.
