Breeders' Cup Classic remains on the agenda for Epsom Derby hero.
Although sights will be firmly on targets closer to home for City Of Troy after the Ballydoyle handler confirmed his Epsom Derby hero would head for the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown next month, a tilt at one of America's biggest prizes remains firmly on the cards with Aidan O'Brien outlining today the Breeders' Cup Classic will be his long-term objective.
City Of Troy bombed out when a warm favourite in the 2000 Guineas on his reappearance at Newmarket and question marks were quickly raised as to whether O'Brien's latest juvenile star had trained on at three. However, those notions were quickly quashed when just as Auguste Rodin did twelve months ago, City Of Troy bounced back with an emphatic display to claim Epsom Derby glory on the downs.
The prospect of an early trip to America for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga was quickly mentioned in the aftermath of his Epsom triumph, but Coolmore have instead revealed they will be targeting the contest with Kentucky Derby runner-up and Belmont Stakes third Sierra Leone.
However, with O'Brien still seeking an elusive first Breeders' Cup Classic success and connections believing their son of the Triple Crown champion Justify will prove effective on the dirt, a trip to Del Mar beckons for the Coral Eclipse-bound star later in the season.
Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, O'Brien said: "The plan is for him to go the Eclipse, he seems to be well since Epsom and we're looking forward to the next day,"
"The long-term plan is that he could go to America and they (owners) have the other horse for Saratoga in America for a race that City Of Troy was going to run in.
"He was a little bit green in Epsom and we just felt that maybe he wasn't ready for that (America) yet. The lads are thinking he'll go to Sandown, and he'll go to either York (Juddmonte International) or Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes) after that and then he could head out to America for the Classic.
"We just thought he was a little bit babyish (to run in the Travers) and obviously when you go to America you need a lot of experience, and you need to be ready for it."
On his performance at Epsom, O'Brien said: "He'd never been dropped in in a race, he'd never raced around a bend and had never been anywhere like Epsom, which is very demanding at the best of times for seasoned horses, so it was probably incredible what he did.
"Ryan (Moore) gave him a great ride; he changed legs going to the line and took off again. He just clicked into gear again going by the line and Ryan was afraid he wasn't going to get him pulled up!"
O'Brien also saddled the Epsom Derby third Los Angeles, who will bid to turn the tables with Ambiente Friendly when the pair meet in the Irish Derby at the Curragh on the final weekend of the month.
"We were lucky to have Los Angeles for the Irish Derby and we thought he ran a very nice race (at Epsom)," said O'Brien.
"We thought a mile and a half at the Curragh would suit him. He was ridden very forward at Epsom and still ran a massive race, so we felt he deserved his chance as first string wherever he was going to go next."
