City Of Troy defied the testing ground at Sandown to produce a hard-fought victory in the Coral-Eclipse.
The Derby winner, who bounced back at Epsom having failed to land a blow in the 2000 Guineas, was the 1-4 favourite under Ryan Moore.
For trainer Aidan O’Brien he stalked along in the slipstream of stablemate Hans Andersen, but when asked to quicken he did not produce the turn of foot perhaps expected.
He still took up the lead, however, and was able to hold off a late challenge from 11-1 shot Al Riffa to triumph by a length with Ghostwriter five and a half lengths behind in third.
It proved a nervy watch for the master of Ballydoyle, who revealed after the race that the testing ground in Esher gave connections plenty of anxiety.
“We were very worried about the ground, we walked it before and it was very soft and tough deep ground, softer than it was in the Dewhurst,” he said.
“He was pitched into unknown territory today and I remember before the Dewhurst we were very worried and took the chance but to walk it today, it was deeper, way deeper.
“It is always tough to watch because the difference between winning and not winning can be massive and I’m delighted for everyone.
“In all fairness to the lads, 15 years ago they would have taken him out, they wouldn’t have run him, but we’re so lucky they enjoy their racing so much now that they wanted to be here and they wanted to run him.
“To walk it I was very afraid, but the lads made the right decision – it was a long discussion.”
O’Brien felt the victory came in spite of the going, which would not be the obvious surface for a horse with an American dirt champion for a sire.
The trainer said: “He’s a beautiful good ground horse, a real fast ground mover and he has won despite the ground. It would have been easy to take him out but the lads all came and they wanted to run him. It was tough because that is specialist ground and it didn’t go to plan because of the whole thing.
“He won quite well in the end. Dylan (Browne McMonagle, on Al Riffa) said coming in that he had him and then he went again. He said he thought he had him, but he was always maintaining.”
City Of Troy was unchanged in the market for the Juddmonte International and the Breeders’ Cup Classic with bookmakers Paddy Power and Betfair, whereas William Hill eased him from 6-4 to 2-1 for the former race and from 6-1 to 8-1 for the latter.
On future plans, O’Brien said: “I don’t know what the lads will do but I would imagine they will have a look at either the Juddmonte International Stakes (at York) or the Irish Champion Stakes.
“After that we will maybe look at America. Everything about him is good ground or better. I would imagine he could finish off in America in the Classic. That is what he is bred to be, his dad was a dirt horse.”
Moore admitted he had expected the win to be more convincing and pointed to the going to echo O’Brien’s assessment of the race.
He said: “I suppose in reality everyone was expecting him to win and probably be more impressive, and so was I. But the ground was an inconvenience for him.
“I was happy enough with where I was but halfway round the bend the ground was a little bit loose and he just lost his action for a stride.
“Ghostwriter took a length out of me and I wasn’t going as comfortably as I should have been, it just took me a while to organise him.
“I got to the two furlong marker and I had to go and I thought he did well because I wasn’t really happy up until then. He found plenty and it never really felt like he was going to get beat.
“I still think we are learning about him and I thought the ground was an inconvenience so I’m happy he has won but I do think there is more there. I thought he would probably beat them by 10 lengths today and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does it next time.
“These conditions are not what he wants, he has an extravagant action and slow ground into a headwind is not easy. I think he will be better in a higher-tempo race.”
On the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Moore added: “I’ve never ridden a Breeders’ Cup Classic horse so I don’t know what that takes. I think this horse has the engine and the ability but we have to work out if he has the right action for it.”
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