Champions Auguste Rodin and City of Troy Welcome Their First Foals

Coolmore Champions Celebrate the Arrival of Their First Foals, one in Ireland and the other in France

The First Foal by Champion City of Troy Strikes a Pose / COOLMORE

The international racing world stood still this Monday to welcome the first glimpses of what promises to be a golden era in European breeding. In an almost poetic coincidence, two of the most influential horses of recent times, Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) and City of Troy (Justify)—both Epsom Derby (G1) winners and juvenile champions—celebrated the birth of their first foals just hours apart.

The news, confirmed by Coolmore, where they stand at stud, officially marks the start of the stallion careers for these two titans who dominated the tracks under the tutelage of Aidan O'Brien.

The first to debut as a sire was Auguste Rodin. The son of the legendary Deep Impact, who retired as a true globetrotter after capturing the Derby, the Irish Derby (G1), the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), and the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1), saw his first daughter born at Haras de Pierrepont.

The foal is a bay filly out of the mare Only In Dreams (Le Havre), owned by Millenium Stud. Initial reports from France spared no praise, describing her as a "quality filly." It is worth noting that Auguste Rodin stands this season at a fee of €30,000, remaining one of the most attractive options for those seeking the elegance and stamina of the Japanese line on European soil.

A few hours later, the epicenter of the news shifted to the paddocks of Coolmore in Ireland. There, the stakes winner Ritournelle (Camelot) gave birth to a bay colt, the first son of the phenomenal City of Troy.

If Auguste Rodin represented class, City of Troy was pure power. Considered by many as the best horse trained at Ballydoyle in decades, the son of Justify generated immense expectation following his devastating victories in the Epsom Derby and the Eclipse (G1).

Eddie Fitzpatrick, representing Coolmore, did not hide his enthusiasm after supervising the newborn: "He is a very good first foal, quality, with scope and strength; a great start for both the mare and the stallion."

City of Troy, who remains one of the most highly valued stallions with a service fee of €75,000, seems to have immediately transmitted the imposing physique that led him to the top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

For followers of statistics and pedigrees, this Monday was no ordinary day. The birth of the first offspring of these two champions represents the initial step of a long journey that, genetics and health permitting, should lead them to the tracks in the 2028 season.

The expectation to see how these heirs to the Epsom Derby crown develop is absolute. For now, the sport celebrates that the blood of champions continues to flow, renewing hopes of finding, in one of these foals, the next great name in world racing.