Troy City and Henry Longfellow Jointly Support National Stakes

Aidan O’Brien Contemplates Running City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow in Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has left the door open for the possibility of both City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow participating in Sunday’s highly anticipated Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh. These two unbeaten colts have already caught the attention of racing enthusiasts as they emerge as leading contenders for next year’s Classics.

O’Brien had initially indicated that after securing victory in the Futurity Stakes three weeks ago, Henry Longfellow would likely wait for his next challenge at Newmarket’s Dewhurst Stakes. However, to everyone’s surprise, he included him in Friday morning’s declarations for Sunday’s race.

“There is a chance that both colts may compete. They are currently showing good form,” expressed O’Brien.

He acknowledged their contrasting preferences when it comes to ground conditions: “City Of Troy thrives on quick ground, while Henry Longfellow handles softer surfaces well.” Despite this disparity, O’Brien remains optimistic about their chances.

Having each raced twice already, there is some anticipation surrounding their performance on Sunday. While City Of Troy has been absent from competition for a considerable period of time, he has been consistently impressive during training sessions. On the other hand, even though it has only been a couple of weeks since his last run-out, Henry Longfellow continues to show promise with encouraging progress evident during recent workouts.

O’Brien also hinted at potentially sending out City Of Troy again following this race: “It has been quite some time since his previous outing; therefore I am considering this as a comeback run for him. However, we couldn’t ignore his peculiar performance at Newmarket, could we?”