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City Of Troy will leave Ballydoyle for Del Mar on Saturday with one final piece of fast work this week set to complete preparations before his audacious attempt at Breeders' Cup Classic glory on November 2.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Aidan O'Brien expressed his delight at the way City Of Troy has been looking and moving following his away day at Southwell last month, where he handled the whole occasion exactly as the master trainer had hoped.
The Derby winner is now a red-hot favourite to provide O'Brien with his first Breeders' Cup Classic, 13-8 with Paddy Power but even shorter at 6-4 with Boylesports, as D-day looms for the son of Justify who has also won the Juddmonte International and Eclipse this season.
O'Brien said: "It's a case of so far so good with City Of Troy. Everything has gone the way we would have hoped over the last few weeks and we've been delighted with him since Southwell. The plan is for him to do his last piece of fast work later this week and he will set off for Del Mar on Saturday, all being well."
O'Brien is assembling a powerful army for Del Mar and among the stellar squad will be the unbeaten Lake Victoria, fresh from her success in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. She could be joined by stablemate Heavens Gate in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, a race O'Brien won two years ago with Meditate.
The trainer said: "The lads are going to let Lake Victoria go to Del Mar, which is great. She's a very talented filly and has a lot of class. She seems to be very well since Newmarket so the plan is for her to run. She's done nothing but improve all season and you'd have to be delighted with everything she's done.
"Heavens Gate could run in that as well. She's been very consistent all season. She's very straightforward."
O'Brien is the most successful trainer in the recent history of the Breeders' Cup Turf with seven wins, including last year with Auguste Rodin, and he could be double-handed this year with Luxembourg and St Leger winner Illinois.
"The plan is for Luxembourg to run in the Turf, and he loves that fast ground over there," he said. "Illinois could go, too, but we'll make a final decision on that later in the week."
There could be a three-pronged Ballydoyle team in the Fillies & Mares as Ylang Ylang, Content and Wingspan could all run, provided the last two are none the worse for their recent Ascot exertions on Champions Day when finishing behind Kalpana.
Henri Matisse has been pencilled in for the Juvenile Turf, while Diego Valazquez and River Tiber are set to represent O'Brien in the Mile, where he will come face-to-face with his youngest son Donnacha, who trains star filly Porta Fortuna in what is shaping up to be one of the best races at the meeting.
Porta Fortuna, the Matron Stakes winner on her most recent start, is 3-1 favourite with bet365, while the 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech is 7-2 and Prix Foret winner Ramatuelle is 4-1. Diego Velazquez is 9-1 and River Tiber 50-1.
Doncaster stages the final Group 1 of the domestic season on Saturday when O'Brien will be bidding to win the William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes for a 12th time with recent Autumn Stakes winner Delacroix, while Bounty will contest the 6f Listed Prospect Stakes.
O'Brien said: "The plan was for Delacroix to run at Newmarket and then go on to Doncaster afterwards, so that's the way we're thinking at the moment. The filly who won at Naas with Wayne [Lordan] will run in the earlier race over six.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Aidan O'Brien expressed his delight at the way City Of Troy has been looking and moving following his away day at Southwell last month, where he handled the whole occasion exactly as the master trainer had hoped.
The Derby winner is now a red-hot favourite to provide O'Brien with his first Breeders' Cup Classic, 13-8 with Paddy Power but even shorter at 6-4 with Boylesports, as D-day looms for the son of Justify who has also won the Juddmonte International and Eclipse this season.
O'Brien said: "It's a case of so far so good with City Of Troy. Everything has gone the way we would have hoped over the last few weeks and we've been delighted with him since Southwell. The plan is for him to do his last piece of fast work later this week and he will set off for Del Mar on Saturday, all being well."
O'Brien is assembling a powerful army for Del Mar and among the stellar squad will be the unbeaten Lake Victoria, fresh from her success in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. She could be joined by stablemate Heavens Gate in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, a race O'Brien won two years ago with Meditate.
The trainer said: "The lads are going to let Lake Victoria go to Del Mar, which is great. She's a very talented filly and has a lot of class. She seems to be very well since Newmarket so the plan is for her to run. She's done nothing but improve all season and you'd have to be delighted with everything she's done.
"Heavens Gate could run in that as well. She's been very consistent all season. She's very straightforward."
O'Brien is the most successful trainer in the recent history of the Breeders' Cup Turf with seven wins, including last year with Auguste Rodin, and he could be double-handed this year with Luxembourg and St Leger winner Illinois.
"The plan is for Luxembourg to run in the Turf, and he loves that fast ground over there," he said. "Illinois could go, too, but we'll make a final decision on that later in the week."
There could be a three-pronged Ballydoyle team in the Fillies & Mares as Ylang Ylang, Content and Wingspan could all run, provided the last two are none the worse for their recent Ascot exertions on Champions Day when finishing behind Kalpana.
Henri Matisse has been pencilled in for the Juvenile Turf, while Diego Valazquez and River Tiber are set to represent O'Brien in the Mile, where he will come face-to-face with his youngest son Donnacha, who trains star filly Porta Fortuna in what is shaping up to be one of the best races at the meeting.
Porta Fortuna, the Matron Stakes winner on her most recent start, is 3-1 favourite with bet365, while the 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech is 7-2 and Prix Foret winner Ramatuelle is 4-1. Diego Velazquez is 9-1 and River Tiber 50-1.
Doncaster stages the final Group 1 of the domestic season on Saturday when O'Brien will be bidding to win the William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes for a 12th time with recent Autumn Stakes winner Delacroix, while Bounty will contest the 6f Listed Prospect Stakes.
O'Brien said: "The plan was for Delacroix to run at Newmarket and then go on to Doncaster afterwards, so that's the way we're thinking at the moment. The filly who won at Naas with Wayne [Lordan] will run in the earlier race over six.
