| Tragic Troy tops freshmen's
table
From HORSE AND HOUND, December 9, 1983
TROY'S death in May was the one thing the British bloodstock industry could have done
without and the performances of his first crop have rammed home just how grievous his loss
will prove to be.
Foaled in 1976. Troy, by Petingo, got four winners of eight races and £35,526 during
the 1983 British campaign. He was a brilliant racehorse whose spreadeagling Derby victory
over Dickens Hill will stay long in the memories of those lucky enough to witness it. Troy
swept to further Group One victories in the Irish Sweeps Derby, the King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup, betore closing his
career with a brave third to Three Troikas in the Arc de Triomphe.
His first winner came at Yarmouth in early summer when Trojan Fen landed the first of his four victories, following up with
success in Newbury's Donnington Castle Stakes, Goodwood's Lanson Champagne Stakes (which
his sire won in 1978) and Newbury's Washington Singer Stakes. He looked and ran like a
horse over the top when a distant third to Gold And Ivory in the Royal Lodge Stakes at
Ascot. Corinth looks like making a name for himself next season, judged on his three runs
last term, which saw him finish an encouraging fourth to subsequent Dewhurst runner-up
Rainbow Quest at Newbury before winning at York and Newbury. Troy's other winners are York
victors Troyanna and Secret Way (Hidden Warning also won in Ireland), but it is the maiden
Pagan Of Troy who will catch plenty of interest next year. On his debut he ran on well to
be third to Double Schwarz in York's Convivial Stakes and again showed the six furlongs to
be too sharp for him when occupying the same position in Ascot's Clarence House Stakes,
beaten just two short-heads by Miss Silca Key and Hatim.
Top-priced Troy was the brief recordholding 1,120,000 guineas paid by Dick Hem at the
Tattersalls Highflyer for the colt out of the Habitat mare, Princess Matilda. The most
expensive of Troy's first crop was Pagan of Troy, for whom the Curragh Bloodstock Agency
paid 240,000 guineas at last year's Highflyer.
Troy's Successes as a First-Season Sire
From HORSE AND HOUND magazine's stallion summary, 1983.
Fortunately though, the 200th Derby winner left three crops of
foals behind him, and a fourth will be born next year Moreover, judging by the meagre
evidence at our disposal, more than one of his offspring should train on to be top class
and, in due course, perpetuate his male line.
Trojan Fen, for instance, must have his
claims to next year's Classics taken very seriously indeed. As well as beating Head For
Heights an extraordinarily easy three lengths in the Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury,
he won Goodwood's Lanson Champagne Stakes and two of his other three races.
The other son of Troy seen to particular advantage this year was Corinth. After being
fourth at Newbury in the middle of September first time out, he won over a mile at York
and again over that distance on returning to Newbury. Corinth is trained by Ian Balding
who also has charge of Troy's daughter Troyanna, successful over seven furlongs at York in
October The following day Secret Way became Troy's fourth winner to date by beating Hafeat
over the same course and distance.
Those early successes by the sons and daughters of Troy had the inevitable effect of
creating a huge demand for the few of his offspring to come on to the open market and his
former trainer Major Hern had to go to 1,120,000
guineas to secure the Barretstown Stud's bay colt out of the Habitat mare Princess
Matilda at Tattersalls' Highflyer Select Sale. By the middle of October six yearlings by
Troy had been sold in 1983 and he was top of the averages with an impressive 364,184
guineas.
In all likelihood the Royal colours should be carried with distinction by a son of Troy
in the next season or two. Lord Porchester reports that the Queen has a very nice yearling
colt called Golden Promise out of Gliding, and a lovely colt foal out of Highclere, the
winner of the 1000 Guineas and French Oaks, while Joking Apart, another of the Royal
mares, is in foal to Troy. Lord Porchester himself has a bay colt foal by Troy out of
Rainbow's End.
Troy, alas, will only be able to have runners in 20 English Classics, but the odds
against his offspring winning at least one of them cannot be long.
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