O'Brien Believes City of Troy Can Bounce Back in Derby

Aidan O'Brien believes he has never sent a colt "with as much ability" to the Epsom Derby (G1) as City of Troy , a Kentucky-bred son of Triple Crown winner Justify  , despite last season's star 2-year-old turning in a bitterly disappointing effort in the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) May 4 at Newmarket.

The champion trainer partially blamed himself for that performance but it has failed to blunt the enthusiasm of punters who have supported City of Troy into as short as the 3-1 favorite for the June 1 Epsom classic.

The colt enjoyed a stunning juvenile campaign that culminated in a devastating display in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1), in which he thundered 3 1/2 lengths clear of Alyanaabi . Hopes were high he could produce something special at Newmarket on his seasonal return, but the distress signals were clear from a long way out and he trailed in ninth of the 11 runners, beaten 17 lengths by the Charlie Appleby-trained Notable Speech .

O'Brien said all has gone well with City of Troy in the 10 days since the Guineas and attributed the below-par performance at Newmarket to a combination of the horse getting upset moments before the stalls opened and under-preparation in the build up to his first classic. The trainer accused himself of treating the Derby favorite like "too much of a god" through the winter.

Punters are hoping O'Brien can work the oracle for the second year running after Auguste Rodin  disappointed in a similar manner in last year's Two Thousand Guineas prior to bouncing back in spectacular style at Epsom. He went on to become a dual Derby winner at the Curragh and landed the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).

Despite having saddled a record nine winners of the Derby, O'Brien feels City of Troy may be the most talented colt the stable has ever sent to the Epsom classic.

"For us, I'm not sure we ever sent a horse to the Derby with as much ability," O'Brien said. "Everything he was doing last year, the statistics were adding up. Even though he won a Dewhurst and only ran over seven furlongs last season, we always knew he was going to be a middle-distance horse.

"Everything has been good since Newmarket. He has done nothing since to make us change the plan which was to start in the Guineas and go to the Derby. 

"The Guineas was just one of those things. He went in the stalls last and the way things worked out, he might have been better off going in a bit earlier as when he went in, he spooked and reared. He wasn't flustered but obviously his mind wasn't in the right place as he's a very calm and relaxed horse.

"The Guineas wasn't meant to be and I feel myself that I hadn't him prepared properly, but what we learned will hopefully help us prepare him properly for the Derby."