City Of Troy on 125 and 5lb clear of his rivals at the top of weakened European two-year-old classification

City Of Troy has been named Europe's champion juvenile for 2023, with Coolmore's impressive Dewhurst Stakes winner rated 5lb superior to his nearest pursuer with an official handicap mark of 125. 

Amo Racing's Bucanero Fuerte is best of the rest on 120 thanks to his success in the Phoenix Stakes, 1lb clear of his National Stakes conqueror Henry Longfellow, who shares a bronze medal slot with Morny and Middle Park winner Vandeek on 119. 

City Of Troy becomes trainer Aidan O'Brien's 13th two-year-old to top the classification and his three dominant victories last year – all at seven furlongs – have made the son of Justify a warm order for this year's British colts' Classics, with quotes of no bigger than evens for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and 5-2 for the Betfred Derby. 

A mark of 125 makes City Of Troy the highest-rated champion two-year-old since Pinatubo, who was assessed at 128 at the end of the 2019 season. 

Horse Racing Ireland handicapper Mark Bird said: "City Of Troy proved himself the cream of the two-year-old crop in Europe this year with three impressive performances between July and October.

“His rating of 125 places him alongside high-class horses such as Zafonic and Fasliyev at the same stage of their careers and behind only four-time Group 1-winning juvenile Johannesburg (126) among his own stable’s illustrious roll call of European champion two-year-olds.” 

Both O'Brien as trainer and Justify as stallion are also responsible for the highest-rated two-year-old filly of 2023, with Opera Singer posting 118 for her victory in the Prix Marcel Boussac, 2lb clear of Moyglare Stakes heroine Fallen Angel. 

Three things to note from the 2023 European two-year-old classification

The elite class of '23 is the smallest this century

Just 36 two-year-olds earned a rating of 110 or higher in 2023, which is by some distance the smallest 'elite' crop this century. Three times since 2000 have there been just 40 horses to reach that mark, in 2001, 2004 and, most recently, 2019.

At the other end of the scale, there have been 50 or more 110+ rated two-year-olds on ten occasions in the last 23 years, though the last of those crops was in 2014. 

Rock Of Gibraltar winning the Dewhurst Stakes in 2001, a year when only 40 two-year-olds were rated 110 or higherCredit: Racing Post

While history can only guide so much, those three years when there were just 40 qualifiers still contained horses in the upper echelons who went on to achieve big things, even allowing for the fact that in the first half of the following season they were only competing against the same generation. 

The effects of a stellar 2001 arguably account for Johannesburg not transforming his juvenile championship into a three-year-old career but below him, stablemates Hawk Wing and Rock Of Gibraltar both proved to be top class.

A similar case can be made for the 2004 crop, where class leader Shamardal and his 1lb inferior stablemate Dubawi both more than proved themselves the following year. 

City Of Troy's superiority puts him alongside the greats 

While there was never any doubt that Europe's handicappers would anoint City Of Troy as the best juvenile in the classification, the distance by which he led the crop is of interest. 

His 5lb advantage over Bucanero Fuerte is towards the upper end of what the handicappers have given the champion juvenile since the year 2000, since which the average gap has been 2.9lb. 

Pinatubo was crowned champion two-year-old in 2019Credit: Edward Whitaker

In 2019 Pinatubo topped the classification by a whopping 10lb, while Native Trail was 7lb clear in 2021, and Dawn Approach also surged 6lb ahead of his contemporaries in 2012. 

Other European champions to be rated 5lb superior to their rivals during that timeframe are Too Darn Hot in 2018 and Little Big Bear in 2022.

Fillies beat the boys on Arc day

Rosallion made a major impression when bouncing back to form on his favoured fast ground in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and is no bigger than 12-1 for the 2,000 Guineas. 

His mark of 117 makes him the second-highest-rated juvenile trained in Britain last year, and officially Richard Hannon's best two-year-old since 2013 European champion Toormore. 

Opera Singer earned a rating of 118 for her dominant display in the Prix Marcel Boussac. Credit: Edward Whitaker

So it is no small thing to note that Opera Singer's five-length romp in the Marcel Boussac 35 minutes later is rated a pound higher. 

In the last ten years, Opera Singer is only the fourth Boussac winner to eclipse the colt who landed the Lagardere in the ratings; the others were Found, Wild Illusion and Blue Rose Cen, all of whom went on to prove top class at three and beyond. 

France's champion two-year-old is also a filly, thanks to another daughter of Justify, Ramatuelle, who pushed Vandeek all the way in the Morny last August. 

Read this next:

The challenge to City Of Troy: where does Ancient Wisdom's Futurity success leave the 2024 Classic picture?

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.