Star juvenile City Of Troy misses National Stakes due to ease in ground

City Of Troy: put in the juvenile performance of the season so far in the Superlative Stakes

City Of Troy: non-runner in National StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Top-class juvenile City Of Troy was taken out of the National Stakes less than half an hour before the race due to the going, with the description changed to good to yielding (from good) after the first race on Sunday.

Ryan Moore instead rode second string Henry Longfellow, who trounced his rivals in convincing fashion in the Goffs-sponsored Group 1,

The going had been good, good to firm in places on Sunday morning before showers anticipated by clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan materialised.

City Of Troy, the early favourite for next year's 2,000 Guineas and Derby, had been odds-on to make his first step up to Group 1 company a winning one after blowing away his rivals in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket on his last start.

He put six and a half lengths between himself and Haatem, who won the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on his next start, that day and was subsequently awarded a huge Racing Post Rating of 117.

Speaking on Saturday, Aidan O'Brien said: "We think City Of Troy is exciting. We'd usually have given him another run between Newmarket and now but we had other horses to take those slots. He's done very well since you saw him last and physically he's got stronger and heavier.

"He loves good ground and he's a good mover. He's an unusual horse in that he has a big, long stride and, when you ask him to quicken, that stride gets longer. He could be very good. He could be a Triple Crown type of horse because he could have the pace for a mile as a three-year-old, he could get a mile and a half and he could go on to get further."

After the opening 6f handicap was won by 16-1 shot Big Gossey on good ground, the Moyglare 'Jewels' Blandford Stakes, the first of five Group races on the card, was run on good to yielding.

“There is a possibility of showers through the day," Sheridan had said on Sunday morning. "It could be heavy, it could be light. The rain is very localised but we are going to get showers through the day."

IHRB Raceday information posted on X: "The clerk of the course and raceday stewards are aware of the possibility of thunder and lightening in the Kildare area. The situation at the Curragh will be continually monitored throughout the afternoon."

'Kyprios is very strong' - star stayer now odds-on in Irish St Leger with stablemate Emily Dickinson a non-runner

Kyprios has been heavily supported ahead of his first start for 344 days in the Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (4.35). Aidan O'Brien's staying superstar has been off the track since a 20-length demolition job in the Prix du Cadran, which was even more impressive considering the son of Galileo veered violently left in the closing stages.

An infection in a joint during the spring meant Kyprios couldn't defend the Ascot Gold Cup or Goodwood Cup but he has the chance of emulating the fellow Moyglare-owned Search For A Song, who was the most recent horse to win back-to-back Irish St Legers in 2019 and 2020.

Kyprios beat Hamish in last year's Classic and, after being 5-4 with William Hill overnight, the five-year-old is 10-11 with the firm to secure a fifth Group 1 success in a row. Kyprios demonstrated he could defy a layoff when making a successful seasonal debut in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan last April, beating favourite Search For A Song after a 350-day absence.

Kyprios also made a winning reappearance during his three-year-old season in 2021 after 195 days off and his rivals include last year's Doncaster St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov. Dawn Rising, who landed the Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot, and Jessica Harrington's Yashin complete the line-up. Kyprios's stablemate, Emily Dickinson, is a non-runner.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Kyprios is very strong at the front of the market while Eldar Eldarov on paper is easy to back, although the two outsiders of the quartet are also attracting some each-way support possibly with punters hoping to get in the two at a nice price.”

O’Brien dominated the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival with four winners at Leopardstown on Saturday including Auguste Rodin in the Group 1 Irish Champion, where he also saddled the second Luxembourg.