Kinsale jockey Ben Curtis has shot at Kentucky Derby glory on board Honor Marie in ‘Run for the Roses’ on Saturday night
Kinsale jockey Ben Curtis has shot at Kentucky Derby glory aboard Honor Marie in ‘Run for the Roses’ on Saturday nightCity Of Troy and Ryan Moore coming home to win the Native Trail's Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October. Photograph: Nigel French/PAwith racing’s focus flipping immediately to the start of Europe’s 2024 Classic campaign and City Of Troy’s potentially epochal tilt at Qipco 2,000 Guineas glory in Newmarket.
The levels of investment in this colt with the distinctive black mane and grey tail dwarf the £500,000 Guineas purse, not least Coolmore’s belief he can foretell future dominance by City Of Troy’s sire, the US-based Justify.
To underline the new Classic theme, US racing has its annual date in the spotlight just before midnight Irish time on Saturday when the 150th Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs. If that spotlight can prove a double-edged sword, including last year when welfare issues were front and centre, the race can still live up to its memorable label as the most exciting two minutes in sport.
“It was a big step forward in the Louisiana Derby, but we all feel he’s very much at home at Churchill,” Curtis said. “I didn’t think when I came over in November that I’d be riding in the Kentucky Derby — this soon, anyway. It was definitely on my to-do list. It’s come around a bit quicker than I thought.”
The warning from history about excessive presumption could hardly be more recent though, given how Auguste Rodin blew out in last year’s Guineas. A similar scenario appears unlikely this time, but any chink in the apparent paragon’s armour might be best exploited by Ghostwriter.
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