IN the week that Aidan O’Brien is being inducted into the Qipco British Horseracing Hall of Fame, it would be fitting if the horse he hailed as the best two-year-old he has ever trained can truly enter the pantheon of Ballydoyle greats with victory in the first classic of the season.

There has been considerable hype surrounding City Of Troy right from the beginning of his career and nothing he showed last season did anything to temper high enthusiasm levels about his potential.

In a flawless juvenile campaign, the superbly-bred son of Justify blew his rivals away in a trio of appearances, notably so in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

A rating of 125 at the end of his 2023 campaign saw City Of Troy crowned champion two-year-old in the 2023 European classification. That lofty mark means only stellar juvenile Johannesburg was rated higher at this stage of their careers, in terms of the record-breaking trainer’s top two-year-olds down the years.

The latest bulletins from O’Brien on today’s Qipco 2000 Guineas (3.35) favourite have all been positive in terms of how he has progressed from two to three. While last year was a vintage one for Justify with his juveniles, the impression remains that his progeny generally have the potential to improve as they enter their classic year.

That said, City Of Troy couldn’t be described as the biggest son of the US Triple Crown-winning sire, in terms of possible improvement from his physique this season. However - more importantly - he is the best of the leading stallion’s offspring to make the track to date.

Those trying to crib the top-priced 4/6 favourite may point to the fact that three of his half-brothers failed to really progress as three-year-olds and certainly were most prolific at two. It must be said, though, that those runners were all by War Front, whereas City Of Troy’s full-brother Bertinelli in fact saved his best for three before being sold to continue his career in Hong Kong under the name Unbelievable.

It probably says something about the overall depth of the Irish two-year-old colts from outside Ballydoyle last season that City Of Troy is the only Irish-trained runner in this year’s race. Perhaps that low visiting turnout - and an overall field of 11 - is also related to what IHRB handicapper Mark Bird described at the end-of-year classifications as a “generally disappointing year for two-year-olds” where City Of Troy was a “high-class champion”.

Rosallion, last season’s Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner for Richard Hannon, is a quality representative for the home team. Like the big-race favourite, this will be his first try beyond seven furlongs.

Godolphin’s Notable Speech has come the road less travelled to become a classic contender, with three Kempton wins over a mile from January to April. He is fully entitled to a crack at this class, for all that it would be unusual for a Guineas winner to have never even raced in blacktype company before.

Last season’s Royal Lodge Stakes scorer Ghostwriter has been the subject of highly positive updates from trainer Clive Cox in recent weeks and Karl Burke clearly holds the unbeaten Night Raider in high regard too. There is quality despite the lack of quantity here.

In the immediate aftermath of his dazzling Dewhurst Stakes success, part-owner Michael Tabor paid serious tribute to Ballydoyle’s great classic hope for 2024.

“City Of Troy really is our Frankel,” beamed Tabor. “I know the way Aidan speaks. We’re all optimists, but this horse is special. No question, he’s the real deal.”

That is huge talk from one of the leading operations in the world. City Of Troy’s opportunity to really begin living up to those words comes at 3.35pm. It could be box office stuff from a hall-of-fame team.