Rite of Passage for Dermot Weld. Aidan O'Brien's Age of Aquarious battled admirably but was always just held in second to complete an Irish-trained forecast. Best of the home team was Luca Cumani's Purple Moon slightly back in third. Next, some distance back, was the horse that got the imagination of most of the punters on here, Spanish trained Bannaby. 2nd fave Ask was next behind Bannaby, while the jolly Manifest only beat a couple home.
1st Rite of Passage; Aged 6; Weight 9-2; Dermot Weld; Pat Smullen - 20/1
2nd Age of Aquarius; Aged 4; Weight 9-0; Aiden O'Brien; Johnny Murtagh - 8/1 - btn by: nk
3rd Purple Moon; Aged 7; Weight 9-2; Luca Cumani; Kieren Fallon - 12/1 - btn by 6L
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4th Bannaby; Aged 7; Weight 9-2; Mauricio Delcher Sanchez; Christophe Soumillon - 20/1 - btn by 13L
5th Ask; Aged 7; Weight 9-2; Sir Michael Stoute; Ryan Moore - 11/4F - btn by 11L
Lots of 'good' horses, but we haven't got another Yeats
. Suppose Yeats just had that aura about him though and gave this race added meaning. The winner could maybe win it again next year if he doesn't run too much over obstacles in the winter, would make sense to save him for this big pot again instead of running him on slogging ground.
Still, Yeats was an outstanding horse and don't get many like him so perhaps thats flawing my opinion of the runners.