Passenger to Miss Coral-Eclipse as He Continues Recovery
(Esher, UK) In a disappointing update for horse racing enthusiasts, Passenger, the promising colt trained by Sir Michael Stoute, will miss the upcoming Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park as he continues his recovery from a recent setback.
Passenger had made a thrilling start to his four-year-old campaign, easily brushing aside his rival Israr, which had propelled him to the top of the ante-post lists for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, an infection ruled the colt out of that prestigious Group One assignment, and connections have now run out of time to prepare Passenger for the Eclipse, where he was widely tipped as the second-favorite behind Derby hero City Of Troy.
“Sandown will come too soon for Passenger and we’re now just playing it all by ear,” confirmed Alan Cooper, the racing manager for owner the Niarchos family. “We entered him yesterday in the Juddmonte International (at York) and Sir Michael will make his recommendations in due course.”
Despite the setback, there are high hopes that Passenger can build on his impressive Chester win, with the form of that race further boosted by Israr’s recent Wolferton Stakes triumph at Royal Ascot.
“It’s a good form line (with Israr) and we look forward to seeing Passenger back on track,” added Cooper.
While racing fans will be disappointed to miss Passenger’s anticipated clash with City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse, the connections are focused on ensuring the colt’s full recovery before mapping out his next steps in a season that still holds many top-race entries for the talented runner.
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