Tag Archive for: White Birch

Passenger out of luck on the Knavesmire – but not out of Derby picture

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Passenger may yet throw his hat into the Derby ring after running with immense promise in defeat in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

It was hard to know what the Ulysses colt had achieved in beating a field of fellow newcomers in the Wood Ditton at Newmarket, but it appeared significant connections decided him to supplement him for a Derby trial Sir Michael Stoute had already won on a record seven occasions, with Desert Crown doing the double just last season.

Punters on the Knavesmire ultimately agreed, with Passenger the 9-2 favourite by the time the gates opened. But what followed was a tale of woe for his supporters.

Ridden by Richard Kingscote, the Niarchos family-owned runner appeared to be travelling all over his rivals halfway up the home straight, but he could not find a gap for love nor money.

By the time Passenger did get a run, it was all too late, but there was much to like about the way he stayed on to dead-heat for third with Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous, beaten just a couple of lengths by eventual winner The Foxes.

While brief in his assessment of the performance, Kingscote immediately blamed himself, saying: “It was my fault, I couldn’t get him a run. It’s very frustrating.”

A decision on whether Stoute and the Niarchos family will roll the dice at Epsom on June 3 is made more complicated by the fact Passenger is not entered, meaning the owners will again have to stump up a supplementary fee, with the price for adding him to the Derby set at £85,000.

Paddy Power were impressed enough by his performance to make him an 8-1 shot like The Foxes, though, and connections ultimately have a couple of weeks to mull it over.

Sir Michael Stoute at York on Wednesday
Sir Michael Stoute at York on Wednesday (Mike Egerton/PA)

Stoute was not on the Knavesmire, but his assistant James Savage said: “It was a bit of a hard-luck story.

“He was in the stalls a long time, he jumped well and did everything brilliantly for a horse having only his second start after running on a straight mile at Newmarket.

“There’s a lot of positives to be taken out of the race. It didn’t happen for Richard up the straight, but that’s just one of those things.”

Interestingly, the only previous horse to be beaten in the Dante and win the Derby was the Stoute-trained Workforce in 2010.

When asked whether Passenger could bid to emulate the subsequent Arc hero, Savage added: “That is going to be a decision for Sir Michael and the Niarchos family. All I can say is that we’ve learnt he’s able to compete at a very high level with the best three-year-olds.

“I’m not so sure experience got him beat because if the gap had come he would have gone through it.

“He’s took a massive step forward from Newmarket to here and we’ll just see how he is.”

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the owners, said: “I’m afraid he didn’t have the clearest of runs, but it was a great improvement from his first start, so let’s get home and see what Sir Michael would like to do.

“He’s shown that he’s a good horse on only his second start. Let’s regroup.

“The family will follow Sir Michael’s advice.”

White Birch (left) is narrowly beaten by The Foxes in the Dante Stakes at York
White Birch (left) is narrowly beaten by The Foxes in the Dante Stakes at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Splitting The Foxes and the third-placed pair of Passenger and Continuous was John Murphy’s Irish raider White Birch.

Winner of a heavy ground Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal bow, the grey proved he is equally effective on quicker conditions, charging home from the rear to be beaten only a neck.

Another son of Ulysses, White Birch does hold a Derby entry and appears bound for Epsom. He is 20-1 with Coral.

George Murphy, assistant to his father, said: “He ran a super race, quickened up really well and just bumped into one on the day, but we couldn’t be happier with the run.

“I think the horse himself thought he had it won and the winner just came from out of his vision, but we’re delighted.

“He’s a super mover and a big, powerful horse – ground doesn’t seem to bother him.

“We’ll take him home and see how he comes out of it, but I think he’s more entitled to take his chance in the Derby now. If the owners are happy to go there and he comes out of it well, I think he definitely deserves a crack at it.”

White Birch bidding for Derby Trial double

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White Birch will return to Leopardstown to put his Betfred Derby aspirations on the line in the Derby Trial Stakes on Sunday.

Trained by John Joseph Murphy, the colt opened his account at the second attempt at Dundalk in November and thrived for the step up in trip on his three-year-old return to cause a 22-1 upset in the Dublin track’s Ballysax Stakes.

Now the son of Ulysses will head to the race previously known as the Derrinstown Derby Trial as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of Battle Of Marengo (2013), Broome (2019) and Bolshoi Ballet (2021) who all completed the double in the last 10 years.

A strong showing could signal a trip to Epsom for on June 3 where White Birch would have the opportunity to become the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to win both the Ballysax and the premier Classic.

“He came out of the race at Leopardstown really well and we couldn’t be happier with how things are going. His work has been great and he is in super form,” said George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father.

“The plan is to go back to Leopardstown for what was the Derrinstown – it’s just the Derby Trial now – and after that we can make a decision over whether we go to the Derby or not.

“I have no doubt the trial will be a difficult race, but he’s in great form and we’re looking forward to it.”

A total of 14 colts have been entered for the Derby Trial with Aidan O’Brien responsible for Adelaide River, Continuous, Gooloogong, Londoner, Mohawk Chief and Tower Of London.

Donnacha O’Brien’s Proud And Regal and Jessica Harrington’s Sprewell are others of note.

Outsider White Birch surprises Ballysax rivals

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White Birch was all heart to triumph as the outsider in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

The grey son of Ulysses was a 22-1 chance on his seasonal debut having run twice previously, finishing fifth in a Naas maiden and then landing a Dundalk contest in November.

Trained by John Murphy and ridden by Shane Foley, the three-year-old progressed from last to first in the final two furlongs and was then hindered significantly when Aidan O’Brien’s Alexandroupolis, the favourite, lurched right on the run to the line.

Recovering from the wobble to rally again, White Birch locked horns with Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under and was headed at the half-furlong pole before battling back to score by half a length.

George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with that. He relaxed lovely early on and quickened up really well.

White Birch and Shane Foley
White Birch and Shane Foley (Damien Storan/PA)

“He got a good bump about a furlong down but he’s a very honest horse and stayed lengthening the whole way to the line.

“We are delighted with that and he could be very good. He’s done what we always thought he could do.

“We’ll have a chat now with the owners and make a decision on where we are going to go. We said we would learn a lot today going up to a mile and a quarter on this ground and it seemed no issue to him.

“He’s hasn’t any Classic entries but he could get some yet! We’ll see how he comes out of this and make a plan from there.

“He had a lovely run first time out in Naas on heavy ground, so we thought he’d get through it today all right. He floated around Dundalk over seven (furlongs) and showed a lot of speed, so he could be very versatile ground wise and clearly going a mile and quarter was no issue either.

“He could be a very exciting horse.”

Foley added: “It wasn’t necessarily a surprise. I’ve ridden him in his work over the last couple of weeks and I’ve really liked him. He’s a gorgeous horse. George (Murphy) was worried about coming here and going that trip, but I think you could go a mile and a half with him.

“It was a proper race, they went a proper gallop and it never let up. He’s a nice horse.

“I knew down around the bottom bend that I was getting to them and he actually picked up better than I expected and I ended up getting there a little bit too soon. He really is a nice horse.

“I actually fancied him coming here and then he was the outsider of the whole field. On his homework, he was working like a very nice horse. I was riding him to run well and it all worked out.”