HORSE RACING:A DECISION on whether the Ascot Gold Cup hero Rite Of Passage will defend his staying crown next Wednesday could be made this weekend after trainer Dermot Weld last evening admitted to "little training problems" with the horse.
Rite Of Passage, who currently disputes favouritism with Fame And Glory for the Gold Cup, worked satisfactorily yesterday but Weld has admitted to some concern about his prospects of returning to Ascot next week.
“I was quite happy with the way he worked but we are having little training problems keeping him right,” he said. “It is a day by day thing with him and there may be a decision about Ascot at the weekend.”
So You Think is set to head another hugely-powerful Aidan O’Brien team into the Royal meeting next week, and the Australian superstar will be the focus of huge attention from Down Under when he lines up in the Prince of Wales’ Stakes.
Unbeaten in two starts since he came to Europe, including a facile success in last month’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, So You Think was the subject of some bitter recrimination from legendary Aussie trainer Bart Cummings when owner Dato Tan Chin Nam sold a controlling interest in the horse to Coolmore at the end of 2010.
Cummings has continued to bemoan the move of the dual-Cox Plate winner to the Northern Hemisphere, and has reportedly dismissed the racing in Britain and Ireland as not worth “two bob”.
Tan, however, is taking a different view and is eagerly anticipating next Wednesday’s 10-furlong highlight. “In life, you must always challenge yourself to find your best. It is no different with racehorses,” the Malaysian businessman has said. “I have been very fortunate to have raced some great horses and I have always wanted to have their greatness tested. So You Think has been challenged in Australia and shown himself to be the tiger. He deserves his chance to see if he is the biggest tiger in world racing.”
O’Brien has already ranked So You Think alongside some of the best he has trained, and the champion trainer won the Prince of Wales’ Stakes in 2008 with Duke Of Marmalade.
Along with Yeats’ third Gold Cup triumph, that Ascot festival of three years ago saw O’Brien score six victories through the week, a record that equalled his Ballydoyle predecessor, Vincent O’Brien, and included four Group One wins.
Fame And Glory is at the head of the Gold Cup betting this time, alongside Dermot Weld’s title-holder Rite Of Passage, while a strong two-year-old squad is set to be headed by Power in the Coventry Stakes.
Zoffany is a likely starter against Frankel in Tuesday’s St James’ Palace Stakes, and Cape Blanco may line up against Goldikova and Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne the same day.
Leopardstown features Group Three action tomorrow evening in the Ballyogan Stakes, and the ground on most of the course yesterday were described as “good” after weekend watering.
This evening’s Irish action is at Clonmel where Ordinary Man can get punters off to a good start in the first maiden hurdle if he runs up to his 107 rating. Shay Barry’s mount returned to action after a six-month absence over this course and distance recently and was running on at the finish behind Presenting Nama.
Ground conditions should suit Native Palm in the other maiden and Jessica Harrington’s runner may be worth another shout after failing to cut much ice at Tramore.
