City Of Troy gets first taste of Del Mar

With his pride and joy seemingly well drawn in gate three, Aidan O'Brien has made no secret of the fact City Of Troy will be ridden more aggressively than ever before

ONE TASK REMAINS: Bar his 2000 Guineas blip, City Of Troy has carried all before him this season but his final test promises to be his toughest. Picture: Healy Racing

City Of Troy's Breeders' Cup Classic dream moved a step closer on Tuesday morning after he encountered the Del Mar dirt for the first time under the watchful eye of Aidan O'Brien.

Bar his 2000 Guineas blip, the son of American Triple Crown hero Justify has carried all before him this season, with victories in the Derby at Epsom, the Eclipse at Sandown, and Juddmonte International at York cementing his status as the cream of the crop in Europe.