ALL the questions about CITY OF TROY will be answered at Epsom on Saturday afternoon.
Will he get the Derby trip? Was the Guineas a blip? Is he really Ballydoyle’s biggest talent of all time?
He was the greatest thing on four legs last autumn and as short as 6/4 for the Derby (4:30pm), but you’ve got to be doubtful after that Newmarket performance.
That’s not to say that Aidan O’Brien can’t work a Guineas flop into a Derby hero.
Rewind 12 months and that’s exactly what happened with Auguste Rodin, but it would be remarkable if lightning were to strike twice.
Despite those reservations he remains the race favourite, and of course the highest-rated horse in the race, so he’s hard to leave out of the equation.
With the World Pool in operation, ensuring multi-million pound pools, it could pay to combine a couple of bigger-priced runners with the favourite in the exotic markets.
ANCIENT WISDOM is a very solid option to fill the frame.
He ran a good second on his reappearance in the Dante and has had his chances improved following a fair bit of rain this week.
If he takes a step forward from York and the ground doesn’t dry up too quickly, then he’ll be hard to keep out of the places.
Then, in a bid to boost the return dividends of those exotic bets, DEIRA MILE is worth throwing in.
His fourth in the Futurity Trophy as a two-year-old, where he was outpaced over a mile but stayed on well to the line, suggested there’s plenty of improvement to come now tackling longer distances.
He won his seasonal reappearance over 1m2f at Windsor and should improve again for the step up to 1m4f, so is worth putting on the shortlist.
The Swinger, where you need to find any two of the first three home is a nice bet to play here, while a Quinella, which pays out on predicting the first two home in any order, is also worth a go, particularly on World Pool days when the pots are so deep.
Those on course or betting online in the UK can access the World Pool by betting via a tote booth or at https://tote.co.uk/.
POINTERS
City Of Troy, Ancient Wisdom, Deira Mile Quinella, Swinger 4.30pm Epsom