'He looks incredibly special' - City Of Troy hot favourite for 2,000 Guineas and Derby after sparkling win

It is not uncommon for Aidan O’Brien to be gushing in praise of his horses, but such was the manner of City Of Troy’s victory in the Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes it was easy to justify.

The winning distance was one thing – City Of Troy was six and a half lengths clear of the second horse, Haatem – but the devastating mid-race acceleration he showed was mesmerising.

Hitting top gear as the horses ran into the dip, City Of Troy disappeared into the distance and left O’Brien trying to succinctly sum up the juvenile’s display under Ryan Moore.

“It’s unnatural ability,” O’Brien said. “He’s a very unusual horse; he’s unbelievable mentally. Whatever speed you want to go he can keep pushing and he can go up and sit with anything we have.

“Ryan couldn’t pull him up at the Curragh last time and I knew he was going to go on earlier here today as there’s not as much of a pull up after the line here! I was on the line and he came past me and started going again, so I was thinking ‘oh no’.

How good was that Ryan? Aidan O'Brien gets an immediate debrief after City Of Troy's impressive victoryCredit: Mark Cranham

“We’ve had to back him up quickly here today but we knew Little Big Bear was coming over [for the July Cup] and the experience of coming over travelling with him was going to stand him in good stead, as it’s something we like to do with the two-year-olds if we can."

O’Brien was far from alone in his assessment of City Of Troy, as not only were there more interested onlookers around the winner’s enclosure than at any other time this week at Newmarket, bookmakers were frantically readjusting the horse’s price for next year’s Classics.

City Of Troy was cut to 7-2 favourite (from 10) for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and to 4-1 favourite (from 12) for the Betfred Derby by Paddy Power. Coral also made City Of Troy the new favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, cutting him to 7-2 (from 10).

Races such as the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes and the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster are likely to be considered for City Of Troy, and O’Brien added: “He looks an incredibly special horse – he looks exciting to me.”

Biggles flies home

Biggles finally earned his wings in premier handicap company when running out a convincing winner of the bet365 Bunbury Cup to give Ralph Beckett his first win in the race.

The 5-1 winner was drawn on the 'wrong' side when favourite for the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, but was in business from a high draw here once the runners merged towards the stands' side.

Moore, who was winning the 7f race for a third time, picked his way through field, which had been reduced to 15 by post time, to beat Ropey Guest by two lengths with 7-2 favourite Awaal in third.

Winning owner-breeder Lady Cobham said: "That was just the best ever and the way Ryan avoided all the closing gaps was just amazing. We like to name all our horses after aviation figures and reserved the name Biggles for a good one – and it's come off."

Beckett said: "We've tried a mile but what he really likes is a fast-run seven furlongs like this. We'll have a look at races like the International Handicap at Ascot after that."

Paddy Power immediately cut the six-year-old to 8-1 (from 10) for that race on July 29.  

Beckett later landed the 1m4f handicap with the Rob Hornby-ridden Davideo.

Sheikh Mohammed's birthday marked 

As 40 mph gusts battered the July course throughout the afternoon, Race The Wind ran out an apt winner of the opening 7f maiden fillies' stakes. Under William Buick, the 5-4 favourite bounded up the stands' rail to hold newcomer Get Jiggy With It by three-quarters of a length.

The daughter of Too Darn Hot, owned by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, gave Appleby his fourth win in seven years in the curtain-raiser and could have a mile on her radar by the end of term.

Appleby said: "Race The Wind ran well behind a nice one of ours, Dance Sequence, here last time and was entitled to come on for it. It's nice to get a winner as we won the first race here on Thursday, but we've been bit players since."

Appleby and Buick later doubled up when Godolphin's Highbank won the mile handicap and, coupled with the win of Master Of The Seas at Ascot, marked a notable day in style. Appleby said: "It's Sheikh Mohammed's birthday today, so it's a nice day to have some winners."

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