The York Ebor Meeting

Day 2

It was a disappointing start to the Ebor meeting, with none of the first five in the opener coming from a double-digit draw. (Only two of them in the first nine!); then Bill Gredley’s extraordinary run with Wimbledon Hawkeye and none of the first four home drawn higher than six. That was less of a surprise as the two favourites were drawn low, but there were still five lengths between the 3rd and 4th and another 1½l to the 5th. An excellent attempt to rattle the AOB barn doors by King’s Gambit in the Great Voltigeur, but Los Angeles was very tough, especially with that extra 5lb penalty, and then we were onto the main course.

I am not sure that the press room does itself any favours when it goes from feigned indifference to carping critic. Yes, he beat the course record - but that was because of a tail-wind. Yes, he won - but what did he actually beat? Japanese horse? pah. Won the Derby, Eclipse and International? Well, that is hardly what I would call convincing. Beat the Aga Khan’s gelding - so what? The immediate reflection was almost as though the press room food had been swapped out for cold gruel and humble pie, and they were affronted. So might I suggest everyone sit down again in the cold light of day and watch what actually happened again and then point to their pre-race reports - and yes, I too, was a doubter - telling the punters how he was going to be held up, needed a pacemaker, would come late if he got there at all - and he probably wouldn’t…. because he’s not Frankel or Sea The Stars!

The carping press had also got to Michael Tabor.

"You have to understand that with Aidan, it's not hype. This is what he genuinely feels. I'm not mentioning any names, but if that horse was trained by a different trainer, their attitude would be different. We are trying to tell the public what we think. They don't; we do, and yet we get criticised for hyping. Well, we're not hyping. We're just telling the truth. You can write that."

You’re right, Michael. When I watched it again, I thought I saw a horse running determinedly, powerfully and without any equivocation, handing out an object lesson in butchery. City of Troy slaughtered the opposition, destroyed his doubters, ground down his opponents, chewed up the course record, and spat it out.

"Just one more thing. We've finally done something to beat Sea The Stars."

We’ve all suffered from the doubts and questioning of others, the constant niggling doubt that you might conceivably be wrong - and talking of which, here are the suggestions for Day 2.