RYAN Moore has ridden no shortage of top-class horses but described City Of Troy’s Juddmonte International-winning effort as “probably the best performance I’ve ever been involved in on a racehorse” after the Coolmore gem shared the 2024 Longines World’s Best Racehorse title with Laurel River.

The Justify colt was out on his own in the global three-year-old standings for 2024. A rating of 128 is 3lb clear of his nearest turf rival in the classic generation, quality Juddmonte International runner-up Calandagan (125).

Last year’s Irish Champion Stakes had a definite impact on the three-year-old rankings, with winner Economics and luckless third Shin Emperor appearing next on 123 each. Newmarket 2000 Guineas one-two, Notable Speech and Rosallion, were rated 122 apiece.

As for the dirt horses to feature highly among those who raced at three last season, Breeders’ Cup Classic one-two Sierra Leone and Fierceness couldn’t be separated on a mark of 125.

Asked to nominate his favourite performance in City Of Troy’s career at this week’s 2024 Longines World Racing Awards, Ryan Moore said: “The Derby is always special. That was a great day and he did what he was bred to do, what Aidan always believed he would do and what everyone else thought he could. But when he won the Juddmonte, that was probably the best performance I’ve ever been involved in on a racehorse. It was exceptional. I’m a little bit gutted that we never got to see him again [on turf] but he couldn’t have been any better that day.”

Relentless galloper

Moore added: “He was different from the first day I rode him at the Curragh. Obviously we had a blip in the Guineas but otherwise he always gave me that feel. Once he got into his rhythm, he was very hard to stop. The sort of horse who had no end to him. Once he got comfortable and kept building, he was relentless. A brilliant racehorse.”

O’Brien had high praise for both his horse and rider in the Epsom revival.

“Obviously it went wrong in the Guineas and we probably just had too much faith in him going there,” he explained.

“The same thing happens in any sport; if you get a bit cocky it will come and get you. We thought going to the Guineas that all he had to do was go into the stalls and come back. He was too fresh for Ryan when he got on him and mentally was too revved. It went wrong in the stalls and it was over.

“The Derby came up quickly, everyone knows how tough the race is, and, for me, what the horse did at Epsom was incredible. Ryan’s ride was incredible too after what happened in the Guineas. Everything was to lose if it went wrong but Ryan rode him with such patience and confidence, letting it all happen. It was incredible. For the horse to come back and do it, he had to be very different to negotiate all he did.”

In terms of where City Of Troy stacked up with older rivals in 2024, the Longines World’s Best Racehorses rankings made the new Coolmore stallion equal to Dubai World Cup champion Laurel River on 128, 1lb ahead of spectacular Cox Plate scorer Via Sistina (127) and 2lb clear of shock King George winner Goliath (126).