9:41 The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) 1m 2 furs

You’ll know your fate – his fate – in a matter of strides. Breaking from post three, City of Troy must break sharply and cleanly. If he does that, he can utilise his natural speed to carve a position near the front of the 14-horse field.

Kickback from one or two won’t matter, kickback from the vanguard, that could end it, done and dusted right there. A sporting venture, poof. For his sake, for the sport’s sake, for the sake of a sporting gesture, I hope he gets away cleanly and the best horse wins from there.

O’Brien thinks he can get a position early. “He has pace naturally, which is what we saw when he was a two-year-old,” O’Brien said. “You saw him open up as a two-year-old, but we haven’t yet asked him to do that as a three-year-old and that’s what he’ll have to do here. He went out there and showed pace in the Guineas, but wasn’t 100% fit and a sprinter took him on and I didn’t prepare him right for that race.

“Then we started him out slow and started revving him up and revving him up more – but he’s a naturally fast horse, who likes to show pace.”

Why him? Why can he be the one to break the Coolmore duck in the Classic?

“His movement, ability, cruise, action, determination, makeup, the way he’s put together,” O’Brien said. “A very compact horse, who looks much smaller until you stand into him and realise how big he really is – all the things that make him different – his movement is massive with big, long strides; he’s aggressive and he’s hardy and you can see his dad (Justify) and granddad (Galileo) in him, so he’s always been an exciting horse. All the things that make him different, and he has the pedigree to back it all up.”

He’ll need all that as he drops his boat into unknown waters.

More options

John Velazquez, the most definitive jockey we know, has more options with Fierceness. Breaking from post nine, Fierceness can control the pace, the tempo, the flow.

Velazquez won’t make it easy on Ryan Moore and City Of Troy. Move. Counter move. Move. Counter move.

Along those moves and counter moves come a melting pot of contenders.

Forever Young has lost once in his life, a tough-trip third in the Kentucky Derby. He drew the rail for Japan. Highland Falls emerged as a contender with a romp in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup for Brad Cox. Mixto won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic and is one of just a few local horses in the Classic.

Senor Buscador won the Saudi Cup in March, but lost his two starts since. Japanese Derma Sotogake finished second to White Abarrio in last year’s Classic and adds blinkers. Japanese Ushba Tesoro is 11-for-35 in a $16 million career. Pyrenees chased Highland Falls in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Tapit Trice represents Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz Jr, two of the greats. Sierra Leone, well, if you’ve liked him, you’ll finally get some value here, but I can’t jump on that bandwagon now.

Arthur’s Ride dominated the Grade 1 Whitney in Saratoga, but came back and flopped in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Did he bounce? Newgate has Dettori and Baffert at the helm. And, last but certainly not least, is the over-achieving, stamina-loving, marathon-dominating Next. Talk about a sport venture. Enjoy.

Selections: 1 Forever Young, 2 City Of Troy, 3 Fierceness.

The meeting is on VirginThree from 6pm