It is 40 years since Dermot Weld first struck at Royal Ascot and if ground conditions are suitable the world-renowned trainer will be back in force next week with a team headed by the Gold Cup favourite Rite Of Passage.
News that watering will take place again at the course tomorrow is not encouraging for Weld who scrapped plans to work Rite Of Passage after racing at the Curragh on Sunday due to fast ground conditions. But with nine days to go until the Gold Cup, he remains hopeful the star stayer will get the chance to regain his 2010 crown.
“If it turns out to be on the fast side at Ascot, he is unlikely to run,” admitted Weld yesterday. “But it is too early yet to be bothering about forecasts. A lot can change. I would have liked to have got a good bit of work into him at the weekend but it wasn’t possible. What I do know is that the horse himself, both physically and mentally, is in great form. When I have managed to get work into him, he has been as good as he’s ever been.”
Rite Of Passage returned from a year and a half on the sidelines to put in a remarkable winning performance at Ascot last October, but hasn't been seen since, missing last Friday's Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown where his stable-companion Pale Mimosa, also owned by Dr Ronan Lambe, successfully substituted.
Weld isn’t ruling out the filly stepping up again in the Gold Cup. But it is Rite Of Passage who remains a 5/1 market leader in the Royal Ascot centrepiece, in betting which also sees Irish hopes Saddlers Rock and Simenon figure prominently in the betting.
“I will discuss it with Dr Lambe but if Rite Of Passage doesn’t run, Pale Mimosa would be a definite possible. But she knew she had a race in the Saval Beg. They came close to beating the track record for a mile and six. But if she comes out of that okay, we will see,” said Weld.
Big Break is another Group One possible for the Curragh trainer in the Coronation Stakes if ground conditions ease, while Duke Of Cambridge entry Caponata is another who likes good ground.
Princess Highway was Weld's 15th Royal Ascot winner in last year's Ribblesdale but she runs this weekend at Cork in the Noblesse Stakes. However, next week's Royal meeting will be an anniversary of sorts for Weld who saddled Klairvimy to win the King Edward VII Stakes in 1973 in his second year as a trainer. In 1974 he followed up with Red Alert in the Jersey Stakes and Highest Trump in the Queen Mary Stakes.
'We need to water'
The Ascot authorities began watering last Friday with the aim of producing good ground for the start of the meeting next Tuesday.
“If we had a dry week it would be firm very quickly and we need to water to get manageable ground,” said clerk of the course Chris Stickels who also said the long-term forecast for next week is uncertain. “Last week we had 3mms of rain most days but very drying conditions with a wind. We need to be in a position by the end of this week if we are not too quick going into Royal Ascot.”
Simenon is as low as 7/1 second favourite for the Gold Cup but Willie Mullins will also enter his versatile horse for the Queen Alexandra, a race he won last year in a memorable Royal double with the Ascot Stakes. "He's obviously got the Gold Cup entry and he'll have one for the Queen Alexandra again on the last day," said Mullins of Simenon who was an unlucky loser from a bad draw on his last start in the Chester Cup.
"I'm very happy with him at the moment but we don't need to decide just yet."
Sugar Boy looks set to take his chance in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on June 29th regardless of ground conditions, although connections are hoping for some cut. "The horse would like a bit of juice in the ground but either way he is a definite runner and I can see him running a very big race," said his Curragh trainer Patrick Prendergast.
