'He’s ready for the next level' - star-studded group of challengers gather to take on City Of Troy in race of the season

What happens in the Juddmonte International could well define City Of Troy in the minds of many.

A glorious victory such as the ones earned by Frankel, Sea The Stars and Baaeed will elevate him and further diminish his defeat in the 2,000 Guineas and his underwhelming success in the Eclipse.

However, this race has a well-earned reputation for being a champions' graveyard, with the likes of Brigadier Gerard, Golden Horn, Oh So Sharp and, last year, Paddington leaving humbled. 

Questioning a horse who is a Derby winner and has lost only once in his life may seem overly harsh but, having been labelled “our Frankel” by connections last year, expectations have only ever been sky-high for City Of Troy.

“He seems to be in good form and everything has gone well with him since Sandown, everyone is happy with him,” said O’Brien, who also runs Hans Andersen in the race. “We always thought York would suit him as he's a big, long-striding horse. 

“Hans Andersen is a solid, straightforward horse and seems in good form.”

Sky Bet York offer: 50-1 for Ryan Moore to ride a winner

Maturing Ambiente Friendly ready to take on Derby conqueror City Of Troy

Having secured two Classic placings in the Derby and the Irish Derby, Ambiente Friendly drops back in trip by a furlong and a half as part of some tweaks that connections hope will put him in with every chance of landing this contest.

As the season has progressed, the hard-pulling Ambiente Friendly who slammed his rivals in the Lingfield Derby Trial has matured into a Group 1 performer whose stamina is perhaps taxed too much by racing over a mile and a half.

No horse travelled better than him to the two-furlong marker in the Derby, but City Of Troy saw out the race better to beat him by two and three-quarter lengths.

The two go head-to-head again at York and Tim Gredley, who owns the colt in partnership with his father Bill, is eager to see how a more grown-up Ambiente Friendly fares this time.

“We’re looking forward to it,” he said. “What’s great about him is that we know he goes to the races and puts in 100 per cent effort, so that gives you greater confidence about watching him. We feel like we’ve tweaked a few things coming into this race and I think the break [since the Irish Derby] can only have worked in his favour. 

“He worked at the start of last week and I know that James Fanshawe and Robert Havlin were delighted with what he did and how he did it. He’s settling down and that’s a large part of what’s going to be in his favour now. 

“There are a lot of people going there with fantastic horses and we're realistic about the challenge he faces and that he can't win every time he runs. However, he’s shown good form this season and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he can be involved.”

Calandagan primed to build on runaway Royal Ascot victory

It would be hard to argue with trainer Francis Graffard when he says that Calandagan is “ready for the next level”.

Owned and bred by the Aga Khan, Calandagan has won three of his four starts this season and was never more impressive than when last seen in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he swept through and went clear in the straight to win by six lengths.

Calandagan and Stephane Pasquier winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Patrick McCann

Calandagan has been the subject of positive reports from connections in the build-up to this race and Graffard is bidding for another notable success in Britain, having also taken a big prize with Goliath in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last month.

Graffard said: “He’s in very good form. We gave him time after his win at Ascot and he’s back to his best form and ready to take his chance. He’s ready for the next level and we’ll see where we stand.

“The opposition is very strong, but I think York will suit him as it’s a big, galloping track with a long straight compared to somewhere like Deauville.”

Bluestocking team eager to compete in 'one of the races of the season'

The depth of this year's field is highlighted by Bluestocking, who lines up here rather than taking the potentially easier option of the Pertemps Yorkshire Oaks.

The Ralph Beckett-trained filly is owned by race sponsor Juddmonte, the operation founded by the late Khalid Abdullah and now jointly chaired by his sons Prince Fahad, Prince Ahmad and Prince Saud.

But while there is a family connection to the race, and record prize-money of £1.25 million, it is the challenge of taking on top-class horses that has been as much of a motivating factor as anything in opting for this contest, according to Barry Mahon, the owners’ racing manager.

Bluestocking (right) eases to victory in the Middleton Stakes over course and distance in MayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

“Several factors went into deciding to go for this race,” he said. “We discussed it with the owners last Friday. She's a Group 1 winner at ten furlongs and was an impressive course-and-distance winner in May. She’s never won over a mile and a half despite running well several times at the distance. 

“This is a special race for Juddmonte, it’s our flagship race, and it has record prize-money this year, so the owners were keen to be represented. 

“It’s setting up to be one of the races of the season, if not the race of the season, and great credit has to go to the owners for being so sporting. She would have been 6-4 favourite for the Yorkshire Oaks and it would have been the easy thing, perhaps, to go there, but they breed and race horses to enjoy them competing in races like this. That’s why we’re looking forward to it so much.”

What they say

Richard Hills, assistant racing manager to Shadwell Estates, owners of Alflaila and Israr
Alflaila loves York, as he’s proven before. He has definitely taken a step forward since his last race and Owen [Burrows] is really happy with him, so we couldn’t be more pleased. Israr loves fast ground and a fast pace, so there's plenty to like in what is a very competitive race. It's a race we like and he's trained nicely into it.

Lisa Grund, media co-ordinator for OTI Racing, owners of Docklands
His form this season is terrific and he’s deserving of his place in a field of this quality. He's finished second on all three runs this year and the three winners have all gone on to further success. We’re incredibly excited to see how he fares.

William Haggas, trainer of Maljoom
He's a good horse and we're stepping him up in trip, which will tell us plenty, and we'll see if he gets it. It's a competitive race but he deserves his place.

Jerome Reynier, trainer of Zarakem
A good pace looks likely with so many runners and that’s what he needs. I hope he can find a good trip from stall nine of 13, but with a long home straight he should have plenty of time to come from behind. He’s travelled over well and I’m hopeful.

More on the Juddmonte International:

2024 Juddmonte International at York: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Smart View: who are the top-rated runners in the Juddmonte International according to our revolutionary racecard?  

'He's a lay for me. Sandown was a big step backwards' - pro punters at odds on whether to back City Of Troy 

Steps on how to claim your Sky Bet Ebor festival free bets

Signing up with Sky Bet is fast, secure and straightforward – and this guide will show you the simple steps to take to join Sky Bet and grab your enhanced 50-1 odds when you back Ryan Moore to win at Ebor this week. Follow the steps below to join Sky Bet through a secure registration page designed to protect your privacy and security.

• Click this link to get started
• Fill out your details when prompted
• Make a deposit into your new account
• Place a bet of £1
• You will receive your £50 free bets instantly, credited as 5 x £10 free bets

Sky Bet Ebor festival sign-up offer: terms and conditions

You must read the terms and conditions before registering an account and accepting the welcome bonus. Below are some of the points to remember when creating an account.

• New Customers Only. 
• Min/max Stake £1. 
• Free Bets Credited on Top of Winnings Within 72 Hours. 
• First Single & E/W Bet Only. 
• 5 X £10 Bet Tokens. 
• Free Bet Stakes Not Included in Returns. 
• Free Bets Are Non Withdrawable. 
• Free Bets Expire After 30 Days. 
• Eligibility Restrictions and Further T&Cs apply.
• 18+. Gambleaware.org

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.