Massive 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy lined up for ‘toughest week yet’

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JUVENILE sensation City of Troy is set for the “toughest week of work” he has had so far as Coolmore maestro Aidan O’Brien prepares his charge for the Qipco 2000 Guineas a week on Saturday.

The news comes as O’Brien warns again that leading Qipco 1000 Guineas hope Ylang Ylang may well be more of an “Oaks” filly in the future for all she will start off at Newmarket.

Can anything stop City Of Troy?Credit: PA

I caught O’Brien on the gallops this morning as his latest army of horses were passing him by.

City of Troy is generally 8-11 for the 2000 Guineas, having destroyed his rivals in last season’s Dewhurst.

They included Craven Stakes one-two Haatem and Eben Shaddad as well as Alyanaabi (Dewhurst second) who worked on course at Newmarket last week along with Iberian (Dewhurst sixth).

O’Brien told me: “So far everything is perfect Matt. No doubt we are very happy. We looked at the trials last week but it’s always very hard to work them out as they are what they are and we don’t read too much into them. But you respect them all.

“It’s a big week for City of Troy. The toughest he will have had so far as we build up to the Guineas.”

City of Troy has been seen as a horse who could do anything this term, from a possible Triple Crown bid – races including the 2000 Guineas over a mile, Derby over a mile and a half and the one and three-quarter mile.

St Leger – to travelling to America and racing on dirt with the Breeders’ Cup Classic muted.

He is a son of Justify, who exploded on to the stallion scene last term and was himself the 13th Triple Crown hero and the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year-old.

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Ylang Ylang has been off the track since defeating Shuwari – out of action for at least the start of this season – in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October.

The daughter of Frankel, who cost 1,500,000gns, is 9-2 for the 1000 Guineas and an 8-1 shot for the Oaks, which is a pice that might be more tempting.

O’Brien added: “Ylang Ylang goes for the 1000 Guineas. She looks as though she will stay well as she only led towards the end of the Fillies’ Mile. She will start in the Guineas but might be more of an Oaks filly.”

Willie Mullins will this week be crowned champion trainer for the first time in Britain.

He deserves every single plaudit he gets, while it’s worth remembering this bid has been given the added advantage of Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham absence.

What has been most scary to see – as Mullins raided Scotland at the weekend and landed the Scottish Grand National with Macdermott – is what Ireland’s champion could actually do in the UK if he tried!

Many of the horses he has brought over in recent times regular racing followers had heard little about, yet they were right up to the grade to beat the best we could offer.

The strength in depth is incredible, and if Mullins had started the season wanting to the British champion he would have won it with consummate ease.

Incidentally, his achievement to get Sharjah to win the three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Ayr will surely go down as one of his greatest.

Yes, he had Champion Hurdle backclass, but here was an eleven-year-old racing further than two and a half miles for the first time. Quite extraordinary.

Some career for that horse since finishing last of six over a mile at Longchamp on debut!

At this minute Mullins says he has one hand on the trophy. Well Maradonna had one hand on the ball, but it still went in the back of the net.

The Championship is done and dusted, and we should just hail Mullins for being the genius, fun, top bloke that he is.

It’s hard to think of anyone in the sporting world it would be more fun to spend an evening in the pub with than the Closutton maestro. Cheers to that.