There's a strong argument to say City Of Troy is the best horse in the Breeders' Cup Classic - but will he handle the dirt?

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The time for talking is almost over. There has been so much said about City Of Troy's quest to land the Breeders' Cup Classic, a race his connections have been trying to win for over 20 years, and it's easy to get caught up in the hype. But let's look at the task facing him.

The first, most obvious point is that dirt is a new surface for him and it's completely different to turf, typically favouring early speed. If you get behind, you need to cope with the kickback and/or race wide and hope the leaders overdo it.

City Of Troy has plenty of pace, at least by European standards. He won the Dewhurst and Juddmonte International from the front, although his Derby success came under a waiting ride. The question is how that speed compares to his rivals in the Classic.