Despite training one of the most exciting – and valuable – horses for many a season, Aidan O’Brien insists he is not feeling under any extra pressure, as City Of Troy begins to build for the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

It is not unusual for the winter Guineas favourite to be trained at Ballydoyle, in fact it is an almost annual occurrence. But there does appear to be something special about City Of Troy on the evidence to date.

O’Brien’s comments following his winning debut at the Curragh, when he mentioned Ryan Moore had been worried because he could barely pull him up after crossing the line, caused a stir of excitement and that feeling was backed up with a six-and-a-half-length win in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

The winning distance was ‘only’ three and a half lengths in soft ground in the Dewhurst, but what has really caught the imagination is the fact that his sire, Justify, was a Triple Crown winner on the dirt.

“He always looked a bit different, every time we worked him really. Then he ran in his maiden,” said O’Brien.

“All he can do is keep turning up and running and see what is happening, but he does work very different.

“Horses are working in very bad ground at the moment, it’s deep. Horses shouldn’t like that, but he is just powering through it.

“We hope to get him to Naas on Sunday after racing – him, Henry Longfellow, River Tiber, they’ll all go together over seven, seven and a half furlongs and we’ll have a little look and all get together, talk to the lads, but the plan is to go straight to the Guineas.

“If that went well, then he could go for the Derby, and if that went well, there’s a chance he could go to Saratoga for a dirt race, the Travers, and that’s very possible if things go well, it will be interesting.

“I don’t feel pressure, all we can do is our best and whatever will be will be.”

While O’Brien does admit he is not the biggest horse in the world, the colt is deceptive.

“He’s done very well over the winter. He’s a medium-sized horse to look at, but when you stand into him he’s much bigger than you think, which is the sign of a very well-proportioned horse. It will be exciting.

“When John (Magnier) and the lads are thinking like that, they are happy to push him out there and see what he can do. If it went well in the Guineas, we’re happy to step up to a mile and a half in the Derby and then come back to 10 furlongs for the Travers on dirt.

“The thinking is to expose him. Obviously he’s by Justify, which makes Justify very exciting for us because he should be able to do dirt as easily as he does grass, that’s what makes him unique really. It’s going to be very exciting, interesting really.”

With workouts planned for his Classic hopefuls at the weekend, O’Brien will be hoping the current saturated ground dries up.

He said: “I’d imagine if he goes to the Guineas he’ll go himself, but when we go to Naas on Sunday it will be the first time they’ve been put together, so we’ll see what will happen.

“What makes him unusual is that he’s by Justify, he should be at home on the dirt but they seem the same on the grass. They stay very well, they are uncomplicated, you can ride them forward.

“Justify looks like a big Quarter Horse but the unusual thing about all his stock is they are very similar, you can set them out there and you can go, that’s what makes him so easy, he can do his own thing, they don’t over-race and just keep going.”

City Of Troy could be seen at Saratoga this year, if everything goes as hoped with the red-hot Classic favourite.

Unbeaten in his three juvenile starts, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Dewhurst winner is set to reappear in the Qipco 2000 Guineas back at Newmarket on May 4.

Labelled “our Frankel” by co-owner Michael Tabor, the Justify colt is also favourite for the Betfred Derby at Epsom on June 1.

And if he is still on track after those engagements, an exciting trip for a dirt assignment could be on the agenda.

“We are particularly happy with how well he has wintered. He’s working away on bad ground at the minute as they all are obliged to,” the Ballydoyle handler said in a stable tour on Attheraces.com.

“He seems to handle it and handled a good cut in the ground in the Dewhurst, but as anyone can see he is a particularly beautiful mover which is what makes it so exciting to see what he does when he meets firmer ground. The better the ground, the better he’ll be.

“He’ll go away for a gallop in the next week or 10 days, that is always an important step for the Guineas horses. It was great for him to get the experience of the undulations of both the July course and the Rowley Mile at Newmarket last season. That will all stand to him in the 2000 Guineas.

“We’ll play it race-by-race, but you’d have to be made of stone not to be dreaming of the Derby if all goes to plan at Newmarket. After that, he could even go to somewhere like Saratoga for a Grade One on the dirt. He’s that type, he could do anything, but we’ll take it one race at a time.

“We have an unbelievable group of three-year-olds this year, but he has always been the leader. Horses like him are very rare.”

Before City Of Troy is unwrapped for the season, O’Brien has important business in Dubai on Saturday week, with dual Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Auguste Rodin set for the Sheema Classic.

He said: “Everything is running really smoothly with him. He leaves here for Dubai this weekend and the Sheema Classic on March 30 is his target. We’ve been really happy with him since his gallop at Dundalk late last month. We feel he has matured well from three to four and it goes without saying that we are very excited to get him going again.

“The horse did all his own talking on the track last year, but we really do think that he’s a very important horse for the thoroughbred breed. It is a huge thrill to have him back for this year and we can’t wait to see him race.

“If all goes smoothly in Dubai, we have it in our head that he could come back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then drive on to the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.”

City Of Troy tops the 49-strong list for the initial entry stage of the season’s first Classic contest, the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was unbeaten in three runs as a juvenile, culminating in a superb three-and-a-half-length Dewhurst victory at Newmarket in October.

He has his name on the long list to return to Headquarters on May 4, alongside stablemate Henry Longfellow – also unbeaten and the winner of the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Richard Hannon’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere champion Rosallion features, as does the well-regarded Godolphin colt Ancient Wisdom, winner of the Futurity Trophy for Charlie Appleby.

Owen Burrows is represented by Shadwell’s Alyanaabi, second to City Of Troy in the Dewhurst and the winner of the Tattersalls Stakes, plus Futurity Trophy fourth Deira Mile.

Coolmore and O’Brien also have the leading fancy in the 1000 Guineas with Opera Singer, a Justify filly last seen winning the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp. Ylang Ylang, winner of the Fillies’ Mile, is another for Ballydoyle.

Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel won both the Sweet Solera and the Moyglare Stud Stakes last season and is another exciting prospect put forward to head to the Rowley Mile on May 5.

In what might be an ominous portent of what is to come, City Of Troy “should have no problem over a range of distances” this season, according to Aidan O’Brien.

The unbeaten Justify colt enters his Classic year with a sky-high reputation and ranked second only to Johannesburg – a four-time Group One-winning juvenile – among O’Brien’s 13 champion two-year-olds to date with a rating of 125 following the unveiling of the European classifications.

“He looks very exciting, obviously, and he looks like he’ll have no problem going up in distance,” said O’Brien of the Dewhurst winner, who is favourite for the 2000 Guineas and Derby and has even been talked of as a potential Triple Crown horse.

“I suppose from the first time he ran he looked something different and we always felt that he was a horse who should go forward from two to three, so he’s very exciting from that point of view.

“Johannesburg was more of a two-year-old, he was a small horse. This horse has a massive big, long stride, a bigger horse and obviously he looks very exciting.

“He’s made good physical progress, we’re very happy with him. He’s not too big a horse, he’s not too small, he’s medium-sized and a lovely, well-balanced horse, he’s got a lovely mind. He’s moving very well and he looks like a horse who should have no problem over a range of distances.

“I suppose what makes him different is the tempo he goes in a race and then he just kicks into another gear at halfway, really.

“We didn’t have a horse as exciting ever as City Of Troy as a two-year-old, probably.”

O’Brien enjoyed notable success from a relatively small sample with offspring of American Triple Crown hero Justify, and he floated the idea of taking some of them out to the States to race on dirt.

“We will definitely consider taking the Justifys to America. I would imagine they will be made for the dirt, Justify was a big dirt sprinter who got a mile and a half, but that is why he’s so exciting, they are as good on turf as dirt,” said O’Brien.

“The Kentucky Derby is unlikely as we might not have anything forward enough for that, but after that, once the Classics are out of the way, there’s every chance we could travel over with some of them.”

City Of Troy was rated 5lb clear of Bucanero Fuerte, trained by Adrian Murray, while just 1lb behind him was another O’Brien inmate, Henry Longfellow, also unbeaten in three races.

“We always thought they were two very good colts but we never put them together,” said O’Brien.

“Both travel very well and quicken very well. City Of Troy has a lower action, while Henry Longfellow bends his knee a little bit.

“Henry Longfellow was impressive in his three runs but what City Of Troy did, he always looked different.

“We were thinking at the moment, although obviously it can change, of starting City Of Troy at Newmarket and we’re thinking of maybe starting Henry Longfellow in France.”

The leading two-year-old filly for 2023 was another Ballydoyle inmate, Opera Singer, a five-length winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac.

“I think we’ll probably start her in the English Guineas. Physically she’s done very well, she’s at the same stage as City Of Troy at the moment,” said O’Brien.

“We’ll probably split them up, one might go to France and one might go to England, her and Ylang Ylang (Fillies’ Mile winner), that’s what we’re thinking at the moment.

“She’s a Justify and they are very versatile but she’s out of a Sadler’s Wells mare (Liscanna) and we didn’t think she’d have any problems handling an ease in the ground. We were hoping good ground would bring out the best in her.”

Opera Singer is a half-sister to Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna, who both won Group Ones at two but failed to train on at three.

“I suppose she’s by Justify which is the massive thing and Justifys improve a lot a three, that’s what we’re thinking. She’s much bigger than they were, scopier, so I think the Justify factor will make a massive difference to her,” said O’Brien.

“When you look at a horse you can tell physically if they have changed from two to three, first impressions is always the thing. Some might get heavier but physically they don’t change.

“They’ve done all their strength and conditioning now and their canters are starting to build up so you want them to be looking like three-year-olds now.”

City Of Troy has been rated just 1lb lower than the figure achieved by the mighty Frankel as a two-year-old after being officially crowned the champion juvenile of 2023.

The son of American Triple Crown hero Justify carried all before him in each of his three starts last season, landing a Curragh maiden and the Group Two Superlative Stakes before putting the seal on a memorable campaign with a scintillating Group One success in the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

With a rating of 125, the colt becomes the 13th European champion juvenile trained by Aidan O’Brien and puts him only marginally behind Frankel and the Ballydoyle handler’s highest-rated two-year-old to date in Johannesburg, who were both given a mark of 126 following their respective debut seasons.

In the immediate aftermath of City Of Troy’s Dewhurst triumph, O’Brien said: “He is the best two-year-old we’ve trained, there’s no doubt”, while part-owner Michael Tabor described the hugely-exciting colt as “our Frankel”.

Reflecting on City Of Troy’s achievements, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s handicapper Mark Bird said: “City Of Troy proved himself the cream of the two-year-old crop in Europe this year with three impressive performances between July and October.

“His rating of 125 places him alongside high-class horses such as Zafonic and Fasliyev at the same stage of their careers and behind only four-time Group One-winning juvenile Johannesburg among his own stable’s illustrious roll call of European Champion Two-Year-Olds.”

City Of Troy finished clear of his rivals in the final classification, with Phoenix Stakes hero Bucanero Fuerte best of the rest with a figure of 120.

City Of Troy’s stablemate Henry Longfellow, who defeated Bucanero Fuerte to land the National Stakes at the Curragh in September, achieved a mark of 119 to take joint-third honours alongside Simon and Ed Crisford’s Middle Park Stakes victor Vandeek, who is the highest-rated British-trained juvenile.

Graeme Smith, the British Horseracing Authority’s handicapping team leader, said of Vandeek: “He posted the best two performances by a British-trained juvenile in 2023.

“His narrow defeat of the excellent French filly Ramatuelle came in one of the strongest renewals of the Prix Morny (118) in recent years and he was marginally better again when winning the Middle Park with authority on his final start (119).”

Coolmore’s Michael Tabor described City Of Troy as “our Frankel” after his superb triumph in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The colt arrived at the track unbeaten after easy wins in a Curragh maiden and the Superlative Stakes, but he was far from a guaranteed contender as the soft ground threatened to scupper his run.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien eventually gave the son of Justify the go-ahead and under Ryan Moore he was sent off the runaway favourite at 8-15.

The juvenile made all the running to cruise to a three-and-a-half-length victory and now the Classics, and indeed a possible Triple Crown bid, beckon.

Owned by Coolmore, a group comprised of John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the colt has exalted company to contend with but is still regarded as one of the best, if not the best, horse to have ever represented the owners.

Tabor was at the Rowley Mile track to witness the victory and was effusive in his praise for a horse he hopes can develop into Coolmore’s answer to the great Frankel, who bowed out unbeaten in 14 starts with 11 of those victories coming in Group One company.

“This horse is our Frankel, I really think that. There is no question in my mind, by his comments, that Aidan thinks this horse is probably the best he’s ever trained,” he said.

“He was nervous with the ground and when you tackle that unknown factor, there’s always a chance that they just won’t do it. He’s got that action, that very low action, but they say that a good horse goes on any ground.

“This is a good horse and he obviously does go on any ground, but I’d say he’ll be much better on top of the ground.

“I know the way Aidan speaks and we’re all optimists – you have to be in life in my opinion, in this game especially – but this horse is special. No question, he is special. He is the real deal.

“Let’s hope he is as popular as Frankel was but he’ll only get that popularity as time goes. Hopefully as time goes on he’ll win all the big races and the accolades will be given to him. I like to talk before the event and I really feel that this horse could be anything.

“It’s always been John Magnier’s dream to win the Triple Crown and we were very unlucky years ago with Camelot, he got beaten a three-quarters of a length in the St Leger.

“The St Leger trip can be a trip too far but let’s take one at a time, to me the Guineas and the Derby are very realistic. Get me a bookmaker that would lay me a price!

“Aidan says this horse doesn’t get tired! Aidan is very enthusiastic, if he doesn’t believe in something then the yard doesn’t believe in it and you have to give people confidence, but I know the way he is and this is something special.”

The owner’s son MV Magnier echoed the dream of finally winning the Triple Crown after Camelot’s agonising defeat.

He said: “It looks like it’s possible. Beforehand I was talking to Ryan and he said the horse that he rode in the Superlative was the best two-year-old that he’s ridden and he would beat any two-year-old he’s seen. That was some confidence going into the race and then afterwards he said he’s definitely the best two-year-old he’s ridden.

“His mother (Together Forever) won the Fillies’ Mile here a few years ago and her sister won the Oaks. Justify, Bob Baffert always said that he was a very good two-year-old but he got injured, he won the Belmont Stakes over a mile and a half so technically, he should get a mile and a half.

“It’s what everybody wants to do, it’s all about the Derby, it’s all about the Triple Crown, it’s really the pinnacle that everybody aims for. I’ll put it to you this way, we’ll keep trying to win the Triple Crown.”

Aidan O’Brien’s star juvenile City Of Troy is firmly on course for next weekend’s Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The Justify colt shot to the head of ante-post lists for next year’s 2000 Guineas with a brilliant display in the Superlative Stakes in July and he has not been seen in competitive action since, having sidestepped a clash with stablemate Henry Longfellow in last month’s National Stakes at the Curragh.

City Of Troy will now bid to sign off an unbeaten two-year-old campaign by providing his trainer with an eighth Dewhurst success on Saturday.

“That’s the plan, absolutely – that’s always been his target. When he didn’t run in the National Stakes that is where we said he was going,” O’Brien said on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

“He’s done well and he’s heavier and bigger now than he was (during the summer) – he’s maturing all the time. Everyone is very happy with him so far.”

Henry Longfellow, second in the 2000 Guineas market behind City Of Troy, also holds a Dewhurst entry – but he looks set to be put away for the winter.

O’Brien added: “I wouldn’t imagine they’ll run together, definitely not this year – I couldn’t see it happening.

“Speaking to the lads the other day they were saying he (Henry Longfellow) has had his three runs and has won his maiden, his Group race and his Group One.

“He’s still in full work and they can decide to do whatever they want to do, but listening to them he might not run any more this year.”

The master of Ballydoyle is also beginning to finalise plans for Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on October 21, with Queen Elizabeth II Stakes favourite Paddington poised to lead the team.

“Paddington looks like he’s going to go to the mile (QEII), Luxembourg could go to the Champion Stakes, the filly that got beat in France (Jackie Oh) could go to the fillies’ race (Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes) and Kyprios could go to the two-mile (Long Distance Cup). That would be the guts of it at the moment,” said O’Brien.

The trainer also confirmed the newly-named Kameko Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on October 28 as an intended target for Diego Velazquez, while Opera Singer – ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas off the back of her dominant success in last weekend’s Prix Marcel Boussac – could be bound for the Breeders’ Cup.

He added: “The lads (owners) are thinking about America. She (Opera Singer) did one piece of work at the weekend and we were very happy with her.”

Aidan O’Brien is making plans for his exciting crop of juveniles, with City Of Troy set to be his chief contender in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on day two of the Irish Champions Festival.

Unbeaten in his two starts to date, he made his debut in a Curragh maiden at the beginning of July, before putting in a brilliant display to land Group Two honours in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

“He is going to the National Stakes at the moment. If he didn’t then Henry Longfellow would go there, but we had it in our heads that Henry would go to the Dewhurst and City Of Troy would go to the National Stakes. I’m very happy with both horses,” said O’Brien.

With City Of Troy – the general 2-1 favourite for the Qipco 2000 Guineas – being a son of American Triple Crown hero Justify, O’Brien is not ruling out the possibility of a switch to the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup later in the year.

He said: “To go to America you need a good horse running at a very high level and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that City Of Troy could go.

“We’ll see what happens in the National Stakes, but if he was going there is a chance that he could come back to six furlongs for the Middle Park to sharpen him up for America.

“There is a chance he could run on the dirt in America, but we’ll see.”

With City Of Troy heading for the National Stakes and Henry Longfellow – also unbeaten in two starts and a Group Two scorer via the Futurity Stakes – seemingly bound for the Dewhurst, River Tiber looks set to contest the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Wootton Bassett colt lost his unbeaten record when third in the Prix Morny at Deauville earlier this month following an interrupted preparation.

“I was afraid that the Prix Morny could go very wrong because he was lame for 10 days. He came back sound, but the muscles can get tired and I was afraid that might happen,” said O’Brien.

“That is why Ryan (Moore) let him find himself in the first half of the race, but he said it was flying home and it was a very big run.

“The plan would be to go to the Middle Park, because there’s horses for those other races. Ryan said he will stay seven furlongs, but that’s what we’re thinking at the moment.”

The Ballydoyle handler confirmed unbeaten filly Ylang Ylang as his main hope Moyglare Stud Stakes, having been kept fresh since landing the Silver Flash at Leopardstown in late July.

He said: “Ylang Ylang goes to the Moyglare. We could have given her another run and tightened her up, but we felt this was the best thing for her.

“She always worked very well. The last day she probably wasn’t as impressive, but we think she’ll be better when she gets a lead.”