RACING:EVEN BY the standards of a trainer who has altered the face of international racing competition over the years, Dermot Weld's global reach during the next couple of months could end up being considerable and is likely to include Rite Of Passage's long-awaited return to action in Paris on Arc weekend.
The 2010 Ascot Gold Cup winner hasn’t raced in almost 16 months due to leg problems, but after an encouraging post-race gallop at the Curragh over the weekend, Rite Of Passage is likely to be seen next in the Group One Prix Du Cadran at Longchamp.
Instead of running his star stayer in the Irish Leger last Saturday, Weld decided to work him after racing and reported yesterday: “I was very pleased with how he went and the Cadran is a very definite possibility for him. I don’t think there is a suitable race for him before that so he will probably go straight there.”
Rite Of Passage is just one of a team of Group One prospects that Weld is considering for a range of international targets with Emulous likely to begin the raids at Newmarket on Saturday week in the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes.
“I thought she ran an excellent race when only failing by half a length to repeat her Matron Stakes win of 2011,” the trainer said. “You have to remember that was a day at Leopardstown when two track records were set. And she’s a filly that loves a little ease in the ground.”
Sapphire missed out on an attempt on Saturday’s Irish Leger too, due to being in season, but the Pattison Canadian International at Woodbine on October 14th is a top-flight option her trainer is considering for the Moyglare Stud owned star.
No decision on where the prolific Famous Name will line up next has been finalised but Sunday week’s Premio Vittorio di Capua in Milan hasn’t been ruled out, while the longest trip of all from Rosewell House could be the privilege of Galileo’s Choice.
The weights for November’s Melbourne Cup will be released today and Weld will be carefully scanning those before deciding if his dual Group Three winning star travels to Flemington for the race that stops a nation.
“Galileo’s Choice is in quarantine but I will review things when the weights come out,” said Weld of his dual-purpose horse who is a general 25 to 1 shot in antepost lists for Australia.
Weld earned a place in Australian sporting history almost two decades ago with Vintage Crop’s 1993 Melbourne Cup victory and added to that haul with Media Puzzle’s success nine years later.
Those two famous victories came on the back of Go And Go’s 1990 Belmont Stakes success in New York and he remains the sole European trained horse ever to win a leg of the American Triple Crown.
Aidan O’Brien might have missed out on the Triple Crown with Camelot but despite that setback he is reckoned to be a hot favourite to regain the trainers’ championship in Britain this year.
Paddy Power yesterday made O’Brien a 2 to 5 favourite to lift the crown with John Gosden rated his only realistic danger at 7 to 4.
Paddy Power said: “The UK title looked a done deal if Camelot had won the Leger as most expected. However, while it may not be over yet, Aidan is still our idea of the winner as Excelebration and Mars both look like they could be real money spinners in the closing stages of a fascinating season.”
