City Of Troy backed again for the Derby - but is he a busted flush or can he emulate Auguste Rodin and bounce back at Epsom?

City Of Troy's disappointing performance in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas evoked memories of his stablemate Auguste Rodin, who finished well held after being sent off favourite for last year's Guineas. Auguste Rodin bounced back from Newmarket with a stunning Derby success and punters are backing Aidan O'Brien to pull off another training masterclass, with City Of Troy backed into joint-favourite for next month's Derby. The question is: can he still deliver at Epsom on the back of Saturday's run? 

What happened?

It was a perfect three from three for City Of Troy as a juvenile, culminating in a devastating three-and-a-half-length victory in the Dewhurst Stakes. He held 2,000 Guineas favouritism throughout the winter and everything appeared to have gone to plan coming into Newmarket. However, City Of Troy failed to pick up for pressure in the Guineas and trailed home ninth, beaten 17 lengths.

Spotlight comment: Took keen hold, prominent, no response when ridden 3f out, weakened quickly 2f out (trainer's rep said, regarding the poor form shown, that colt became tired on his seasonal reappearance in a strongly run race) 

What was the reaction from Aidan O'Brien? 

On City Of Troy's Guineas run: "He got down to the start grand, but the minute he got into the stalls he started jumping around, then the gates opened because he was last in. When a horse starts panicking like that, their heart rate rises straight away, so his heart was probably beating at close to 200 beats a minute. When you start off a race with a heartbeat that high, you really only get to halfway in any race. I think that's what happened to him. He was too fresh really and that's what we're putting it down to. He has always been very relaxed in the stalls, but maybe I should have done a bit of stalls work with him before the race, but I didn't. I just never anticipated something like that happening with him."

On possible reasons for the Guineas no-show: "I think that maybe I might have left him too fresh. I probably treated him like too much of a god through the winter and because of that he was too fresh. Nothing about the run made any sense. He's such a good horse that everything he was doing was at half-pace, whereas most other horses would be at full pace doing what he was doing. Because of that I probably hadn't done enough with him."

On the Derby: "I don't know what's going to happen in any race ever, but all I know is that he had a programme set out for him and you don't always hit every marker on the programme. But that doesn't always mean you won't get back on the road and hit other markers. We're not going to change anything from what we said we were doing with him."

Will City Of Troy bounce back at Epsom?

'He might be another Air Force Blue'

City Of Troy's career could go the way of Air Force Blue or Auguste Rodin, two of Aidan O'Brien's other big 2,000 Guineas disappointments. 

Sadly, as much as I'd like to be proved wrong, I think he might be another Air Force Blue, the 2015 Dewhurst winner who never built on that promise. City Of Troy was the model pupil when rising to stardom last year but turned into the naughty schoolboy at Newmarket. There was little professional about the way he raced and he'd have to adapt quickly to stand any chance in the Derby. 

Auguste Rodin last year felt like a complete blowout, whereas City Of Troy seemed more like he hadn't trained on – a view heightened by his precocious pedigree. It's a shame, but I can't see him winning the Derby. Arabian Crown is the one to beat for me.
Matt Rennie

'We'll see a very different City Of Troy in the Derby'

I'm a firm believer that you can forgive a horse a bad run, and everything about the 2,000 Guineas looked too bad to be true for City Of Troy. 

Haatem and Alyanaabi, two rivals he had swatted aside as a juvenile, comprehensively reversed the form and on Racing Post Ratings he underperformed by 40lb on his Dewhurst run.

Aidan O'Brien has eulogised about the colt from an early stage and will be determined to get him back to his best for the Derby. The Ballydoyle maestro got Auguste Rodin in top condition for Epsom last year and I expect we'll see a very different City Of Troy next month.
Joe Eccles  

'I can't entertain backing him'

I wouldn’t have entertained backing City At Troy at 8-1 for the Derby in the immediate aftermath of the 2,000 Guineas, so his shortened odds don't interest me.

Aidan O’Brien showed he can work a miracle when winning the Derby with Guineas no-show Auguste Rodin but that top-level performer had been beaten first time out as a juvenile too. It requires a leap of faith to have City Of Troy on side.

We’ll learn plenty from the trials in the next two weeks and I’m intrigued to see how Spoken Truth, a brother to Homeless Songs, fares if returning at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Jack Haynes

Betfred Derby (4.30 Epsom, June 1)

Coral: 4 Arabian Crown, City Of Troy, 8 Ancient Wisdom, Henry Longfellow, 12 Diego Velazquez, Grosvenor Square, 16 Hidden Law, 20 Los Angeles, Voyage, 25 bar

Read these next:

Electric Notable Speech leaves rivals toiling in 2,000 Guineas to put smile back on Charlie Appleby's face 

City Of Troy bred to stay so it's too early to write him off at 8-1 for Derby - three things we learned this week 

'I probably treated him like too much of a god through the winter' - Aidan O'Brien reflects on City Of Troy Guineas blowout 

Racing Post Members' Club: 50% off your first three months 

Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.