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City of Troy Tops Timeform Honours List

With the Champion Trainer Trophy now tucked away in the trophy cabinet of Aidan O’Brien and a third Champion Jockey gong nestling on the Oisin Murphy mantlepiece, the time has come to honour the most important players in the game – the horses.

As ever, Timeform is one of the first to pay tribute to the stars of 2024. This week, the leading form service announced their champions in all the major divisions and the overall horse of the year. Without further ado, we now present your 2024 winners.

Horse of the Year & Champion Middle Distance Performer: City of Troy


There are certainly no surprises here. This was the name on everyone’s lips before the season began and continued to hit the headlines through to the Breeders’ Cup Meeting; this Aidan O’Brien-trained three-year-old received the top honour.

Flops in the 2,000 Guineas and Breeders’ Cup Classic bookended his campaign, but in between this son of Justify was electric. Posting a classy staying effort to land the Epsom Derby, he then toughed it out to claim a soft ground Coral-Eclipse. However, his greatest display came when running his rivals into submission in a star-studded edition of the Juddmonte International. Now set to pursue a career as a stallion, he will be big miss at the track but a huge addition to the breeding scene.

Champion Miler: Charyn


Headed into the 2024 season, few would have predicted this result. 2023 had, after all, yielded seven defeats from as many outings, suggesting this son of Dark Angel may be below the top level. However, Roger Varian has always held Charyn in the highest regard, and in 2024, found his faith richly rewarded.

Kicking off with back-to-back wins in Listed and Group 2 company, he found Audience too good in the Lockinge Stakes but responded with Group 1 triumphs in the Queen Anne Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois. Still not done, he produced a career-defining display on Champions Day, when showing guts, determination, and class to bag the Queen Anne II Stakes.

Champion Filly/Mare: Bluestocking


Following a similar career trajectory to Charyn, this Ralph Beckett mare was the nearly-horse of 2023. However, having filled the runners up spot three times in Group 1 company, she confined her case of seconditis to the racing dustbin in 2024.

An effortless winner of the Group 2 Middleton Fillies’ Stakes on her seasonal return, she finally banished her Group 1 hoodoo in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh. Had she left it at that, she would already have posted the best season of her career, but more was to come. Throwing her hat into the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe ring with a tough performance in the Prix Vermeille, she then produced her pièce de résistance when storming home in the big race at Longchamp.

Champion Sprinter: Bradsell


For much of the campaign, it was incredibly difficult to pick out the most talented sprinter in training. Across the opening Group 1 events, Mill Stream, Khaadem, and Asfoora took turns to beat one another.

The division badly needed a horse to stamp his authority. In August, that horse emerged. Expertly nursed back from injury by Archie Watson, Bradsell kicked off with a Listed success at Deauville before landing a pair of Group 1s in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes. A narrow defeat in the Prix de l’Abbaye and disappointment at the Breeders’ Cup followed, but he had already done enough to confirm himself as the king of the five-furlong scene. In common with City Of Troy, Bradsell is now set to enjoy life at stud.

Champion Stayer: Kyprios


Whereas the sprint division was close to call, the staying scene was a whitewash. Unbeaten in seven outings, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Kyprios was simply in a different league to his rivals.

Wins in the Vintage Crop Stakes, the Saval Beg Stakes, the Ascot Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup, the Irish St Leger, and the Prix du Qadran exactly mirrored his glorious 2022 campaign, with a win in the Long Distance Cup confirming his superiority beyond any doubt. Set to remain in training as a seven-year-old, he will take some stopping in 2024.

Champion Juvenile Colt: Shadow of Light


Finally, we come to those stars best placed to shine brightest on the 2025 Classic scene. This Lope De Vega half-brother to Group 1 winner Earthlight topped the bill amongst the colts. Defeated just once in five outings, his steady improvement culminated in Dewhurst success, which was far more impressive than the narrow winning margin would suggest.

Champion Juvenile Filly: Lake Victoria


Last but not least, this sensational filly from the yard of Aidan O’Brien. Boasting Frankel and the Group 1 winning sprinter Quiet Reflection as parents, Lake Victoria is bred to be good. On the evidence of 2024, she may be the next Aidan O’Brien superstar. Ending the season with five wins from as many starts, she achieved the rare feat of winning Group 1 events over six furlongs, seven furlongs and a mile. Out on her own at the head of the 1,000 Guineas market, it will be intriguing to see if she can maintain her dominance at three.

Horse Racing