‘He’s very exciting’ – Aidan O’Brien thinks this 2000 Guineas hope is a cut above

Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard is a dominant force in Group and Grade 1 races all over the world. The master trainer has won the 2000 Guineas a record 10 times and he has a major contender for this year’s race. His last win came back in 2019 so he’ll be keen to add to his tally once again. 2024’s main contender could be on a different level to his opposition and O’Brien is clearly his number one fan. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.


‘He always looked a bit different’

City Of Troy is odds-on for the 2000 Guineas, which tells you all you need to know about this horse. He’s three-from-three so far and made his rivals look very average when bolting up in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last time out. O’Brien said: “He always looked a bit different, every time we worked him really. All he can do is keep turning up and running, but he does work very different. The horses are working in ground that’s deep at the moment and he shouldn’t like that at all, but he has a lot of power.”


‘He’s bigger than you’d think’

O’Brien is delighted with the progress City Of Troy has made over the winter and is clearly looking forward to the big race in May. The trainer added: “He’s done very well physically. He’s a medium-sized horse but is deceiving. When you stand into him, he’s much bigger than you’d think which is a sign he’s a very well-proportioned horse. He’s by Justify which makes it very exciting for us because he should be able to run on dirt as easily as he does on grass. That’s what makes him very unique.”


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