The Irish Derby has become a cringing embarrassment and City Of Troy decision is the latest body blow

Ryan Moore returns after winning the Irish Derby on Auguste Rodin in front of xx.xxx spectators

Ryan Moore returns after winning the Irish Derby on Auguste Rodin Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

A lengthy press release landed in my inbox last Friday. It carried the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby logo and ran to 1,167 promotional words focusing on the social elements of the Derby meeting at the Curragh.

On Sunday, with a contrasting economy of style, Coolmore Stud used a mere 30 words to announce that City Of Troy would miss the Irish Derby in favour of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

This widely anticipated decision, thoroughly understandable in commercial terms, is a body blow to the 2024 the race, run at a track where the Coolmore partners are important stakeholders.

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Published on 10 June 2024inAnother View

Last updated 14:00, 10 June 2024

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