'There's no doubt he's the best Derby winner we've had' - City Of Troy and Aidan O'Brien silence the doubters

It is true we have heard it before but never has there been as much conviction in his words as when Aidan O'Brien declared City Of Troy the greatest horse he and the Coolmore partners had ever had in their care.

After last year's flawless season there was no reason to doubt those words, but a spectacular reverse in the 2,000 Guineas left questions to be answered. But in an arena where champions of the turf have been crowned for more than two centuries, City Of Troy found an emphatic response to shun the knockers and run away with the 245th running of the Betfred Derby.

O'Brien blamed himself for City Of Troy's downfall in the Guineas, believing he lost the race as he came out of the stalls like a scalded cat, but the Derby could not have gone any differently.

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Hardly drawn in the ideal position in stall one, jockey Ryan Moore was in no rush with City Of Troy, taking up a position three-quarters of the way down the field on the inside. Moore started to ease the handbrake off rounding Tattenham Corner and, as if by magic, City Of Troy skipped past the backpedallers and was preceded only by the riderless Voyage, who lost jockey Pat Dobbs leaving the stalls, by the time he reached the two-furlong marker.

To be fair to Ambiente Friendly, he moved into contention every bit as stylishly as the winner, but as the eventual runner-up reached his optimum, City Of Troy still had fuel in the tank and another gear which Moore never had to fully engage.

Loose runner Voyage leads home City Of Troy in the Derby at EpsomCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Two and three-quarter lengths separated the pair at the line, with the winner's stablemate Los Angeles a further three and a quarter lengths away in third in a Derby in which the cream came to the top.

"I'd say there's no doubt he's the best Derby winner we've had," said O'Brien, winning the race for a record-extending tenth time but giving the impression he had piled more pressure on himself this time than ever before. "He has the cruise, he has the balance, he quickens and he stays."

• Lee Mottershead: 'You could see Aidan was overcome with stress' - O'Brien's relief is obvious as City Of Troy fulfils his Derby destiny 

Between thanking the great and the good of Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle, O'Brien again went back to the errors he had made before City Of Troy's comeback in the Guineas.

"We knew the Guineas went totally wrong. I made mistakes training him and that's the bottom line," said the trainer. "There were stones that I should have looked under that I didn't. He was too fresh, was unprepared and blew up in the stalls when he went in – that's the reality of it.

"I knew the ability he had but I left him too fresh going into the Guineas and he just wasn't prepared properly. Since then, everything has been beautiful and he really grew up. The incredible thing is the cruise he has and the ability he has, it's so exciting for everybody."

Ryan Moore and City Of Troy enter Epsom's winner's enclosureCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Moore, winning the Derby for the fourth time, once again proved the perfect partner for a pressure-cooker occasion, although he admitted the speed of City Of Troy's initial response in the straight caught him by surprise.

"We were able to pick a path and he took me there early and easily," said Moore. "The race was over and he was in control of it a fair way out. I felt he was still a little bit inexperienced with the loose horse in front of him, but he changed his legs near the line and went on again. He's a bit special.

"He showed so much as a two-year-old and it's great that Aidan has got him back, didn't lose faith in the horse, stuck to the plan and it paid off. We believed if he turned up like we thought he would he'd be too good for them – and he was."

Although it is usually O'Brien who heaps praise on Moore in these moments, the rider reversed roles as he paid tribute to a trainer of genius.

"He's been breaking records for so long now it's incredible – there's no-one like him," said Moore. "It's more than being a genius and attention to detail and dedication. Everyone works hard in this game, but I've never known anyone work harder than him. It's not just down to brilliance, it's the time and effort. You can't beat it."

A smiling Aidan O'Brien after City Of Troy's Derby winCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Before his defeat at Newmarket, City Of Troy had been spoken about as both a potential Triple Crown hope and a Breeders' Cup Classic challenger. The first of those dreams is over but he could yet bid to seal his legacy on dirt in the United States.

"It's always been a passion of ours to try and win the Classic," said Michael Tabor, part-owner of City Of Troy with Sue Magnier and Derrick Smith. "We were second with Giant's Causeway and, being by Justify, surely we'll give it a try eventually."

O'Brien added: "The initial plan was the Guineas, here and then go to Saratoga for a dirt race [the Travers Stakes before a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic]. We stuck to the plan for here but whether the lads want to do that again, I don't know. They will have to talk about that."

For the time being the talking can stop. After all, City Of Troy answered the questions that really mattered on another famous day on the Downs.

Read these next:

Robert Havlin on Ambiente Friendly: 'I saw my worst nightmare on my left - the plan nearly worked like clockwork' 

'It was very unfortunate' - Derby dream turns sour as Voyage unseats Pat Dobbs leaving the stalls 

'He's our worst result in the Derby for ten years' - City Of Troy victory leaves bookmakers licking wounds 

How the race was won: Ryan Moore's decision to take the brave route proves crucial in City Of Troy triumph 

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