Passenger will be supplemented for the Derby, says Stoute

Simon Milham
May 28, 2023 12:19 pm

Lightly-raced Ulysses colt looked an unlucky loser in the Dante.

Passenger will be supplemented at a cost of GBP 85,000 for the Betfred Derby on Monday morning, Sir Michael Stoute has said.

The master trainer, who landed the Epsom Classic with Desert Crown last year, will be represented in Saturday’s mile-and-a-half showpiece by the fast-improving Ulysses colt, who was denied a clear run in the Dante Stakes at York.

Passenger, owned by the Niarchos family, made a taking debut when scoring in a mile maiden at Newmarket on April 20.

🏆 THE FOXES WINS THE DANTE! 🏆
It was very messy but it’s The Foxes that holds on to take the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes 🦊
Another big win for @oismurphy!#ITVRacing | #DanteFestival | @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/SXManF06Jb

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 18, 2023

He was withdrawn from the Dee Stakes at Chester due to heavy ground so connections paid GBP 14,000 to supplement the colt into the Group Two Dante on the Knavesmire.

Upped to an extended 10 furlongs and racing keenly early on his second start, jockey Richard Kingscote found his path blocked when attempting to mount a challenge two furlongs from home.

Once seeing daylight, the 9-4 favourite stayed on nicely and forced a dead-heat for third, just a length and a half behind The Foxes, who enjoyed the run of the race.

The imperious Shergar winning the Derby in 1981 (PA)

Passenger, currently 5-1 third-favourite with the sponsors, will bid to give Stoute a seventh Derby success following victories with Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003), North Light (2004), Workforce (2010) and Desert Crown.

He “worked nicely” in a mile workout on the Al Bahathri Polytrack in Newmarket on Saturday morning, according to Stoute, who confirmed: “We are planning to supplement him for the Derby in the morning.”

Desert Crown, returning from 11 months off after the Derby, saw his colours lowered for the first time when the fast-finishing Hukum overhauled him in the last few strides of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening.

Stoute added: “He’s all right. He did everything right until the last hundred yards when he tied up a bit.”