Cash floods in for City Of Troy for the Derby as punters keep the faith in Aidan O’Brien’s flop
PUNTERS are giving City Of Troy a second chance after he bombed out in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt has been backed back in to joint favouritism for the Derby after the bookies initially pushed his price right out for the Epsom Classic.
City Of Troy has been backed back in for the Derby
He was as short as 5-4 for the Derby on June 1 heading to Newmarket, but as he trailed home in ninth place behind Notable Speech he was eased out to 8-1 in a few places.
Legendary trainer O’Brien could offer no real excuses after the colt’s odds-on flop on Saturday.
But in a subsequent TV interview he said he didn’t get enough work into the horse in the build-up to the Guineas and that he was far too keen in the early stages to do himself justice.
Fans are clearly buying into the theory that City Of Troy, who was the champion two-year-old in 2023, would come on for the run on his seasonal reappearance.
OFFERS OF THE DAY
Betfred: Get £50 in free bets – CLAIM HERE
BetMGM: Get £60 in free bets – CLAIM HERE
Tote: Get £30 in free bets + 50 free spins – CLAIM HERE
William Hill: Get £40 in free bets (mobile only) – CLAIM HERE
Betfred: *New customers only. 09:00 on 08/03/24 – 17:30 on 15/03/24. Register with CHELT50. First bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports which settles before 23:59 on 15/03/24. Free Bets: £20 Horse Racing, £20 Football Acca & 50 x £0.20 (£10) Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy within 10 hours. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply.
BetMGM: New customers only. 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 6 x Free Bets: 4 x £10 Horse racing, 2 x £10 Acca Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org
Tote: New customers online only. £10 min stake (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £30 Tote Credit + 50 Free Spins on selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Tote credit subject to 7-day expiry. Free spins subject to 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply.
William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. When you sign-up via Mobile using promo code P40 and place a bet of £10 or more we will give you 4x £10 free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. begambleaware.org
There is also the recent example of Auguste Rodin, who flopped badly in the Guineas before winning the Derby on his next start, to give fans hope.
And Coral say they have been coming back in for the horse in the Derby betting, and he now shares favouritism with Godolphin’s Arabian Crown at 4-1.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “We only eased City Of Troy out to 6-1 for the Derby despite his hugely disappointing 2,000 Guineas run.
“As we saw last year with Auguste Rodin, his trainer can win at Epsom with a colt well beaten at Newmarket.
“And it seems punters are willing to forgive him that performance, as he’s once again at the head of the Classic betting, albeit for now he shares that position.”
Speaking at the Curragh, O’Brien said: “I do think I left him too fresh going to the Guineas.
“When he got into the stalls, he jumped around a bit and he didn’t get a chance to relax, so he would have hit the gates when his heart rate was very high.
“When they start a race with a heart rate so high, they can only last for so long in a race. That’s probably why he only got to halfway and then he entered the red zone.
“When a horse starts panicking like that in the stalls, their heart rate rises up straight away.
“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.”
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings