The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) will miss the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday week as he continues his recovery from a setback which ruled him out of Royal Ascot.
Sparingly raced as a three-year-old when his standout efforts included an unlucky-in-running third in the G2 Dante Stakes at York and a narrow victory in the G3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor, Passenger looked an improved model when returning from nearly nine months off with a smooth win in the G2 Huxley Stakes at Chester in May, beating the subsequent Wolferton Stakes winner Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) by a length and a half in course-record time.
That performance suggested Passenger has what it takes to be a major force at the top level as a four-year-old and his connections are optimistic that his return to action will prove worth the wait as they now turn their attentions to the second half of the season.
“Sandown will come too soon for Passenger and we're now just playing it all by ear,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family's Flaxman Stables Ireland. “We entered him yesterday in the Juddmonte International [at York] and Sir Michael will make his recommendations in due course.
“He was all set to run at Ascot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes but he got a temperature which knocked him out of Ascot unfortunately and these biological things can take a bit of time to get over. He's getting back on track. The horse will tell Sir Michael and we will go from there.
“It's a good form line [with Israr] and we look forward to seeing Passenger back on track.”
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