Passenger primed for Prince of Wales’s challenge

Passenger will look to provide trainer Sir Michael Stoute with a fifth victory in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next month following his triumphant return to action at Chester.

An impressive winner of of the Wood Ditton at Newmarket on his racecourse debut last spring, the son of Ulysses went on to finish a luckless third in the Dante at York before disappointing as a major contender for the Derby at Epsom.

Following a mid-season break, Passenger showed his true colours when edging out West Wind Blows in the Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor in late August and having picked up where he left off with victory in the Huxley Stakes at Chester’s May Festival, a return to the top level beckons.

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables Ireland, said: “We were absolutely delighted with Passenger at Chester, he did it very well and everybody is very happy with him. I believe it was a track record and he couldn’t have done it any better.

“He’s lightly-raced for a four-year-old after just five starts and the plan is to go for the Prince of Wales’s, all being well.

“He ran in the Derby last year and now he is much more mature and we’ll find out more at Royal Ascot.”