RACING:FAME AND Glory will put his Ascot ambitions to the ultimate test at Leopardstown on Sunday when he lines up in a mouth-watering clash against the Gold Cup title-holder Rite Of Passage in the Savel Beg Stakes.
Both Group One winners were among the dozen entries left in the Listed event after yesterday’s forfeit stage as they warm up for next month’s Gold Cup.
Rite Of Passage hasn’t been seen since his epic defeat of Age Of Aquarius last June and bypassed a winter National Hunt campaign to concentrate on retaining the stayers crown in 2011.
“He’s been off a long time and will come on leaps and bounds for the run. But he has been away to work and Sunday is the plan,” Rite Of Passage’s trainer Dermot Weld said yesterday.
“Fame And Glory is another world-class horse and a very exciting horse. He has been outstanding Group One performer. It should be a good race,” he added.
Aidan O’Brien, famously a four-time Gold Cup winner with Yeats, has a new stayers candidate in the 2009 Irish Derby hero Fame And Glory who narrowly defeated Nebula Storm on his reappearance at Navan last month.
Fame And Glory currently tops most ante-post lists for the Gold Cup at a general four to one with Rite Of Passage next best at five to one.
The dominance of the Irish horses was emphasised yesterday when it was indicated the main British hope Sans Frontieres could skip the race at Ascot in favour of the Hardwicke.
Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden said yesterday: “I need to speak to Jeremy (Noseda) but if he goes to Ascot, I think it would more likely be for the Hardwicke than the Gold Cup, although nothing is definite yet.
“We had hoped to run him in the Yorkshire Cup, but then just before York he picked up a low-grade infection. It was a shame as I think he would have done very well in that.
“That was going to be his seasonal debut and it was disappointing that he didn’t get there. We won’t get a race into him before Ascot. He was fourth to Harbinger in the Hardwicke last year and that was the first race last year when he started to run well.”
Ground conditions at Leopardstown yesterday were “good to firm” and the Seamus and Rosemary McGrath Memorial Savel Beg could also feature well-known names such as the 2010 Ebor winner Dirar. In the past the race has been won by star performers such as Yeats (2007), Vinnie Roe (2005-02), Enzel (1999) and Vintage Crop (1994.)
Sunday’s Group Three highlight at Leopardstown will be the seven-furlong Ballycorus Stakes for which 16 remain possible, including last year’s Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany.
He is joined by Charles O’Brien’s Group Three winning filly Bewitched, the Tetrach winner Imperial Rome and last year’s Ballycorus winner Six Of Hearts.
British trained possibles are Brian Meehan’s Inler and The Cheka who was just beaten by Lolly For Dolly at the Curragh earlier this season.
Dermot Weld also had news of his stalwart performer Famous Name who was third to So You Think in Sunday’s Tattersalls Gold Cup.
“He ran another good race. He is going to have a long season ahead of him and so we will take it as it comes for his next race,” he said.
