Ante-post favourite Passenger will miss the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot due to an infection.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the four-year-old made a fine seasonal return in the Group Two Huxley Stakes at Chester last month, running out a length-and-a-half winner over Israr without really having to hit top gear.
That was just the Ulysses colt’s fifth career start, having won the Wood Ditton on his first run last year before going on to finish third in the Dante, disappoint in the Derby and win the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes on his final outing of 2023.
Passenger had been firmly among the leading fancies for the 10-furlong Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but Alan Cooper, racing manager for owner the Niarchos family, confirmed he will not line up.
He said: “He has an infection and it would be a race against time to have him spot on for Ascot. Hopefully he will be ready for the Eclipse, but that will be up to Sir Michael.
“We’ll get the horse right first and then we will make a plan when everybody is happy.”
With Passenger ruled out, Auguste Rodin is the new 7/4 favourite ahead of 11/4 shot White Birch, who beat the market leader in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last month.
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