City of Troy Impressive in G2 Superlative Victory

City of Troy (2c Justify x Together Forever, by Galileo) kept his record perfect on Saturday with a victory in the Group II Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

Making his second career start just two weeks after breaking his maiden on debut, City of Troy was always among the front runners on the near side going seven furlongs on the July course. Ryan Moore asked him to put some pressure on the leader just over halfway through the race and they were in the lead by the time they entered the final quarter.

Moore asked his mount to pick up his effort after they took command and City of Troy used that as an excuse to bolt away from the field. When it was all said and done, City of Troy won by an easy 6 ½ lengths with the third placed runner a further 3 ¼ lengths behind the second-place finisher.

“He's a very unusual and special horse,” trainer Aidan O'Brien told Thoroughbred Daily News. “He has loads of speed and is happy to do whatever–he can go from the front or take a lead and can go with anything at home. He has that unbelievable rhythm and seems to just keep pushing it out and there doesn't seem to be any limit to his trip. He's a lovely-natured horse with that unusual demeanor and temperament. He has the stride and ability, speed and stamina all rolled into one.”

A homebred for Coolmore, the O’Brien-trained City of Troy has won his starts by a combined nine lengths, both at seven furlongs.

“He looks an incredibly special horse,” O’Brien continued. “He's exactly what John [Magnier] wanted from Justify, a true Classic horse. The [Group II] Futurity, [Group 1] National, and [Group 1] Dewhurst are all open to him. He's got loads of speed and will go any distance, so there are many roads open to him.”

The colt is another impressive Justify winner for Group I winner Together Forever alongside London Gold Cup winner Bertinelli. Together Forever has also produced produced Group III winner Military Style, Group II placed Absolute Ruler, and stakes placed King of Athens and is one of three Group I winners out of Green Room. That mare is the dam of Group I Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together, Group I winner Lord Shankill, and stakes placed Do You Love Me.

Green Room is a half-sister to Grade I winner Spanish Fern and to the dam of Grade I winner Heatseeker.

Together Forever foaled an Uncle Mo filly last year.

Justify is the sire of 11 stakes winning juveniles worldwide with that group including eight graded stakes winners. His 2-year-olds have won graded stakes in five different countries with Justify also soon to be crowned Champion Freshman Sire in Australia.