Feast or famine for Aidan’s City of Troy?
Aidan O’Brien 2000 Guineas favourites tend to fall into two categories following their dates with Classic destiny at Newmarket. The brilliant or the blowout, writes FRASER MACKIE.
For every Churchill, Camelot and George Washington justifying the hype and short price there’s been a One Cool Cat, Air Force Blue and, only 12 months ago, Auguste Rodin.
City Of Troy is 4/6 to join the list of Ballydoyle titans and back up the stunning form of his two-year-old season.
None of the trio of flops, however, finished closer than 12th on the Rowley Mile – failure that couldn’t possibly have been forecast by a glance at their SP.
So is there hint that City Of Troy could be vulnerable and land up in the latter camp?
Or are comparisons with Frankel to be vindicated 13 years on from Sir Henry Cecil’s great scooting home at odds of 1/2?
The Frankel parallels were drawn when City Of Troy produced the highest-rated Dewhurst performance since 2010.
The son of Justify made all to defeat Alyanaabi, who is 16/1 to gain revenge on Saturday but more likely to be suited by the Derby for Owen Burrows.
That leaves genuine opposition thin on the ground. Haatem impressed in the Craven, a performance that would ordinarily have resulted in a single-figure shortening of his odds.
Yet Richard Hannon’s charge remains 20/1 for at least two sound reasons.
Firstly, he finished six and a half lengths behind City Of Troy in the Superlative Stakes on the July Course then two lengths further adrift in the Dewhurst.
Secondly, Hannon (inset) has consistently peddled the belief he has better at home in the shape of Rosallion.
The Wiltshire trainer’s first string, 4/1 second favourite, will pitch up without a prep run – a deliberate tactic to avoid soft ground.
He also has an impressive victory over Alyanaabi at Ascot to boast of but is short enough for one who may be ground dependant.
Finding holes in City Of Troy is an unenviable task and O’Brien makes him his sole representative five years on from his last triumph with Magna Grecia.
He can win to fuel Triple Crown aspirations but a couple of each way picks look worth an interest.
Unbeaten Ghostwriter, winner over course-and-distance as a juvenile, brings cast-iron stamina at 16/1 for the excellent Clive Cox.
The race often throws up bigprice placed horses and Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin at 40/1 could sneak into contention.