Ebor Festival: Aidan O’Brien hails ‘special horse’ as City of Troy earns Juddmonte International joy at York

In a quirky twist, O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter had also clocked a record time earlier in the afternoon in the Acomb Stakes, with the colt the only progeny of that now excellent stallion housed at Ballydoyle.

Racegoers have never been left in any doubt about the regard in which O’Brien holds City Of Troy – after his romp in last year’s Superlative Stakes he went on record saying the colt was producing work at home he had never previously seen.

There was also no hiding place against Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly, top-class filly Bluestocking, Royal Ascot winner Calandagan and Japanese St Leger victor Durezza.

O’Brien ran a pacemaker in Hans Andersen but despite him sporting first-time blinkers, City Of Troy broke quicker and Ryan Moore found himself in front – and there he stayed, winning by a length from Calandagan.

As ever in racing, the question is always ‘what next?’ and being by American Triple Crown winner Justify, the dream of a Breeders’ Cup Classic bid, for which he is 4-1 favourite with Betfair, is very much alive.

O’Brien said: “The lads can do whatever they want but we always dreamed he would be a Classic horse. That’s what we always dreamed. It wasn’t the plan today (to make the running) but he hit the gates and Ryan just decided he was going along.

“What happened in the Guineas, we went away from that (making the running) because he frightened us. As a two-year-old, he was very quick early and he would dominate and keep going, which is what he did today but Ryan gave him a brilliant ride, he controlled it brilliantly and finished off very strong.

“He is the best I have trained and we thought that as a two-year-old, we always thought that. He is the most special horse we’ve ever had.”

The star of Los Angeles continues to rise after the Irish Derby scorer registered a gutsy success in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

Third behind Ballydoyle stablemate City Of Troy at Epsom, Aidan O’Brien’s son of Camelot gained his own Classic triumph at the Curragh in the Irish equivalent on his last start.

Supplemented into this Group Two event, he was sent off 5-4 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore as he became the first horse to win the Knavesmire contest under a penalty.

Los Angeles was settled in third as O’Brien-trained pair Euphoric and Illinois took the field along, but once shaken up to bridge the gap to his stablemates, he responded to Moore’s urgings to work his way to the head of proceedings.

The challengers mounted at all angles as Los Angeles needed to pull out all the stops inside the final furlong but neither rallying runner-up Illinois or Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit could get past Moore and his willing ally as he hung on by a neck.

He was made the 5-2 outright favourite for the St Leger by Paddy Power in the aftermath, but it remains to be seen in which direction connections will head in the autumn.

O’Brien said: “He was very tough and we were delighted with him. He’s just a lazy horse that gets a mile and a half well.

“Obviously the lads will make that decision (where he runs next), but the second horse stays very well and a mile and six (furlongs) is probably where he is going to be seen at his best. Ryan’s horse (Los Angeles) can do either – he can go up in trip, but he has plenty of class, so he could go back for an Irish Champion Stakes and finish in the first four and go on to an Arc, or he can go to the Leger with the others.

“The horse that won in Goodwood (Jan Brueghel) would probably get the Leger trip very well, Illinois would probably get the trip very well and Los Angeles could get it as well, but would have an option of going shorter trips as well.

“He’s a massive, handsome, powerful horse and he has the options and he’s very versatile ground-wise.

“I’m delighted for the lads and everyone. It’s hard to win these races, so it for it to come together, especially at a place like this, is great.”

The Lion In Winter roared loudest to come out on top in a Tattersalls Acomb Stakes showdown with Ruling Court.

The duo were dominating the top of the markets for next year’s Classics having both impressed in their respective debuts and a change in race conditions saw the stellar two-year-olds lock horns on the Knavesmire on just their second career outings.

Charlie Appleby’s son of Justify was billed as the star attraction following his spectacular display at Sandown and was settled in mid-division by William Buick, as Moore aboard The Lion In Winter was at the head of proceedings alongside Hugo Palmer’s The Waco Kid.

Buick asked the even money favourite to move into contention as the race entered the final quarter mile but there was no way past O’Brien’s son of Sea The Stars, who grew stronger the further he went.

The Lion In Winter came home with a length and three-quarters advantage as the 2-1 second favourite, with Ruling Court eventually giving way to Wimbledon Hawkeye for second, James Owen’s colt outrunning odds of 22-1.

Jm Jungle went two better than last year when running out a relatively convincing winner of the Symphony Group Handicap.

Victory for the John and Sean Quinn-trained sprinter ensured the Ebor meeting began with a local winner as the Malton-based duo landed the first prize pot of over £60,000.

Third last year off a mark of 92, having won at Goodwood previously, he had dropped to a mark of 88, having gone winless this term.

With an extra 89 yards further than his normal five-furlong trip to conquer, Jm Jungle travelled sweetly having tracked the pace-setting top weight Democracy Dilemma before Jason Hart asked for his effort.

He quickly put the race to bed and beat the prolific Jordan Electrics by three-quarters of a length, with Looking For Lynda back in third.

John Quinn said: “He hasn’t had a lot of luck and he got his luck today.

“He was just beaten in this race last year when he was drawn on the stands’ side. It didn’t work out for him at Goodwood last time and he ran a great race here in May when he was drawn on the wrong side as well.”

There was also a Yorkshire-trained winner of the concluding Sky Bet Nursery Handicap, as Yes I’m Mali proved best of Richard Fahey’s three runners to land the spoils at odds of 12-1.

“He would have been the least fancied for me but it just shows you what trainers know, I suppose,” said Fahey

“I’m just delighted to get a winner here, it takes the pressure off (for the week) and I can just relax now.”