IRON HORSE READY FOR GR1 CHALLENGE

Aidan O’Brien sent debut winning juvenile City Of Troy over on the float with his top-class sprinter Little Big Bear to contest the bet365 Superlative Stakes at the Newmarket July festival.

The Group 2 contest run over 7-furlongs attracted a field of nine including the unbeaten Godolphin runner Great Truth from the stable of Charlie Appleby, successful in this contest in 2020 and 2021 with Master Of The Seas nd Native Trail.

However, on Saturday afternoon all the money was for the O’Brien trained son of Justify, a well-supported 4/6 favourite.

Ryan Moore had him in the vanguard from the start, and at halfway they had gone a length clear. Hitting top gear as the horses ran into the dip, City Of Troy quickened away impressively to win by six and a half lengths.

“He’s a very unusual horse; he’s unbelievable mentally. Whatever speed you want to go he can keep pushing and he can go up and sit with anything we have.”

“Ryan couldn’t pull him up at the Curragh last time and I knew he was going to go on earlier here today as there’s not as much of a pull up after the line here!”

“We knew Little Big Bear was coming over [for the July Cup] and the experience of coming over travelling with him was going to stand him in good stead, as it’s something we like to do with the two-year-olds.”

O’Brien was far from alone in his assessment of City Of Troy, with bookmakers frantically readjusting the horse’s price for next year’s Classics.

City Of Troy was cut to 7-2 favourite (from 10) for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and to 4-1 favourite (from 12) for the Betfred Derby.

Races such as the Darley Dewhurst Stakes and the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster are likely to be considered for City Of Troy, and O’Brien added: “He looks an incredibly special horse – he looks exciting to me.”

Another to keep an eye out for later in the season is the Juddmonte owned three-yearold Nostrum. The Kingman colt created a big impression when making all the running to win the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket last Thursday.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, he finished third in the Dewhurst behind subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean after two facile victories at Sandown and Newmarket.

Forced to miss the Guineas due to a minor setback, Nostrum was making his seasonal reappearance at Listed level but was sent off a well-backed 11-10 favourite against some promising rivals.

Ryan Moore was happy to make the running, settling beautifully, and going into the dip, he produced a smart turn of foot, extending his lead to win easily by three.

Stoute said: “It was everything I hoped to see. He had been off for nine months, but he was working very well. Ryan liked him.”

“He will tell us if he could go into Group One company next time, but on today’s evidence, I think he’s ready.”

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