With expectations sky high once more, it is time for City Of Troy to do the talking again in Wednesday's star-studded Juddmonte International at York.
Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners are very much on record with their views on the son of Triple Crown hero Justify, with O’Brien labelling him the best he has ever trained.
He overcame a poor run in the 2000 Guineas to take the Derby in style and get his career firmly back on track, although in winning the Eclipse he was more workmanlike.
O’Brien blamed the soft ground at Sandown for what was visually a less than explosive display, but there should be no worries on that score this week and for a horse with a long stride, York’s four-furlong home straight should be ideal.
But with the best three-year-olds and older horses in opposition from all over Europe, as well as a top-class filly in Bluestocking and a winner of the Japanese St Leger winner, there will be no hiding place in what is the biggest field assembled since the inception of the race in 1972.
"We’ve been happy with him since the last day and obviously this was the race we had planned out for him and everything has gone well," said O’Brien.
"The weather looks like it means the ground should be better than Sandown, and York has nice, long home straight that we hope will suit him given his stride.
"We always say we want to see the best horses in the best races.
"He’s just been unique all the way along. What he has been doing has just been on raw ability.
"We thought he was still green in the Derby and then we went to Sandown and we were happy there was plenty of time between Sandown and York to tweak a few things."
Second to City Of Troy in the Derby was James Fanshawe’s Ambiente Friendly.
He then went on to the Irish Derby when he travelled like the winner for much of the contest but was seemingly outstayed by Los Angeles, who runs in the Great Voltigeur this week.
Most onlookers are of the opinion that Ambiente Friendly will be better off down at 10 furlongs and that is certainly the view of his jockey, Robert Havlin.
"If you stopped both Derbys at the two-furlong marker he’s probably the only one still on the bridle, so you would have to think that dropping back in trip will help," he said, as he assessed his chance in what is another leg of the Qipco British Champions Series.
"It looks like being the race of the season, so I’m really looking forward to it.
"I’d like to hope that he can reverse form. At the two-pole at Epsom I think most people would have been thinking he was the winner, and he’s mentally growing up all of the time.
"He’s the type of horse who you don’t have to squeeze off the bridle to get him to move up through the gears. He’s a really strong traveller with a very high cruising speed, and he goes up through the gears on the bridle."
French dominance in The King Edward VII stakes! CALANDAGAN romps home under Stephane Pasquire for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and owner H.H. Aga Khan. #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/F2WJkwxzvi
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2024
Francis-Henri Graffard hopes his Royal Ascot winner Calandagan is ready to step forward in the feature.
Calandagan has impressed this year and was a three-quarter-length second on his seasonal reappearance in a Listed event at Saint-Cloud.
He then won the Group Three Prix Noailles and Prix Hocquart at ParisLongchamp, with all three of those races coming on soft or heavy ground.
Calandagan displayed his versatility when he won the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on good to firm, and Graffard is confident he is ready to move up to the highest level for the first time.
He said: "He’s in very good form. We gave him time after his win at Ascot and he’s back to his best form and ready to take his chance. He’s ready for the next level and we’ll see where we stand.
"The opposition is very strong, but I think York will suit him as it’s a big, galloping track with a long straight compared to somewhere like Deauville."
Zarakem is another French raider, with trainer Jerome Reynier seeing the race as the perfect preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe later in the year.
The four-year-old disappointed on his first attempt at Group One level in the Prix Ganay, but it was a different story in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes when only beaten three-quarters of a length in second by Auguste Rodin.
"They are talking about the hottest race of the year. We are not very far from it. It is going to be a very strong test," Reynier said.
"Obviously, he ran a really good race at Royal Ascot and he showed he was able to deal with the fast ground at the highest level. We are going to wait at the back for some pace and hopefully we will be finishing as fast as the other day."
⭐️ City Of Troy records his third G1 victory with a game performance in our feature event, the @Coral-Eclipse for Aidan O'Brien & Ryan Moore pic.twitter.com/x3og3bex5J
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) July 6, 2024
Clive Cox is confident of a strong run from Eclipse third Ghostwriter, despite a less than ideal draw.
Cox said: "He ran really well at Sandown and the form has been franked with the second horse winning in Germany, so we’re happy. I would have chosen a different draw (13) given a choice, but I’m very happy that we’re going there in good form.
"We’re looking forward to this week and that will guide us accordingly. We’d prefer a drier build-up than a wet one."
Durezza is another from overseas taking his chance, with the Japanese St Leger winner making his UK debut.
"He has won the Japanese St Leger, but his other four wins have been around 10 furlongs," said Yusuke Sai, racing manager for Japan’s Northern Farm, who bred the international contender.
"He is not a thorough stayer, he has a bit of class. He can stay, but we think 10 furlongs to a mile and a half is his best distance."
The Owen Burrows-trained Alflaila is a course specialist, having won the Group Three Strensall Stakes and Group Two York Stakes twice.
Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: "He’s another older horse, he’s there to try to win what he can, we are taking on the very best so nobody’s saying he’s going to go and win it.
"But I’m sure if he runs his race he’ll be there or thereabouts. He’s got a great mind on him, lovely attitude and loves his work.
"Our horse is a regular Group Two verging Group One class and who knows, he might not be good enough, that’s fine, but I’m sure he will be give a good account of himself."
William Haggas’ Maljoom ran a big race when second to Notable Speech in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and jockey Tom Marquand believes he will handle the step up in trip.
He said: "It was a massive run at Goodwood, where he was second to a Guineas winner and an exceptional horse, and everyone was in agreement afterwards that the step up to a mile and a quarter would help him and was the next logical step."
Israr steps up to Group One level after winning the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot and Richard Hills, assistant racing manager for Shadwell, said: "He’s in there on his own merits.
"Sheikha Hissa took the view that he deserves his chance. He loves fast ground; York will suit him really well and I think he’ll run a big race. He’s in good nick."
