It was a gallant and brave attempt. But the picture says it all.

City of Troy's eyes closed with the kickback from the dirt flying all around him. If Troy had broken as well from the gate as he can, he would not have been subjected to so much dirt in his face. But break well, he did not.

Not many horses - even dirt horses - win on their first attempt when they get a lot of kickback. It takes them a run or two to get used to it. It's one reason why so many dirt races are won on the front end. And it's also why a lot more horses in US dirt racing wear blinkers as it protects them to a degree.

Perhaps going to California a week earlier, and working City of Troy with company from the gate on the dirt, might have been a good idea. I don't know why connections didn't do that. The all weather Tapeta track at Southwell is a very different surface to the dirt at Del Mar. And expecting a horse to win one of the biggest races in the world is a very big ask when that horse has never even had a work over the surface.