City of Troy’s biggest rival’s owner ALREADY planning rematch and reveals why his charge will win Breeders’ Cup Classic
CITY OF TROY’S biggest rival told Sun Columnist Matt Chapman he would challenge Coolmore to a rematch after thrashing them in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday.
In an entertaining interviewm the owner of 10-3 second fav Fierceness, Mike Repole, was bullish when asked if he “really believed” his horse could win.
https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/1852312857699913831There remains a question mark over whether City of Troy will handle the surface given he has only ever raced on turf before, unlike his rival who is well-practised on the dirt.
And Repole reckons this will be the unravelling of the horse who went unbeaten in Derby, the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte.
Repole asked Chapman the rhetorical question: “Is this race on dirt or turf?”
To which Chappers, responding the only way he could, said: “Dirt.”
The feisty American replied: “You got it. There’s your answer.”
Repole continued: “In fact, I actually believe that after we beat him on Saturday on dirt, I’m going to ask Aidan and Coolmore if they want a rematch on Turf.
“Why can’t we have a match race between City of Troy and Fierceness and get a pay to view and get the whole world watching?
“It would garner more money for the sport and more eyes globally than the Kentucky Derby. I would do it 100 per cent.”
Chappers went on to refer to the ‘good-old-days’ of racing when matches between two horses were not uncommon.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness has so far won three from five of his starts and will, of course, have his work cut out in Saturday’s showpiece.
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He finished at the tail end of the field in the Kentucky Derby but has won a the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Travers Stakes since, filling his owner with confidence.
And the American entrepreneur and businessman has also taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to ‘send a message’ to City Of Troy in a video.
He said: “City of Troy, I hope you run a great, great race. I hope you take to the dirt where people are questioning, and I wish you the best second-place finish of your life.”
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