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Dermot Weld broke Aidan O’Brien’s stranglehold on the Gr 1 Gold Cup after Rite Of Passage shattered the track record as he wore down Age Of Aquarius in an epic duel.
The 20-1 winner provided the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer with his first victory in the famous race and denied O’Brien a fifth consecutive success following the memorable exploits of Yeats. Turning for home, Johnny Murtagh appeared to hold all the aces on Age Of Aquarius, sent off an uneasy 8-1 chance, but as stamina came into play, dual-purpose star Rite Of Passage relished every yard of the 2m4f trip and mastered his rival close to the line under a great Pat Smullen ride.Weld said: “This has been the plan for a long time. I was second with my two previous runners - Vinnie Roe and Vintage Crop - and it’s always a race I have wanted to win. I left the tactics to Pat, he’s a world class rider and got it spot on.”Asked if Rite Of Passage would be aimed at the Melbourne Gold Cup, Weld added: “I think we already have the favourite for that race, Profound Beauty, who beat Age Of Aquarius at Leopardstown. I have the race in mind for Rite Of Passage as well but it’s a long way off.”

William Hill made him a 10-1 chance for that race and 5-1 to win the 2011 Gold Cup.Akmal, adopting his usual front-running tactics, set an even pace, with Aga Of Aquarius and Rite Of Passage always prominent and Kasbah Bliss and Manifest held up at the back.As the field charged down Swinley Bottom for the second time, Akmal began to get swamped and was passsed by Age Of Aquariusas Manifest made eyecatching progress through the pack.Murtagh attempted to draw the sting from his rivals as he kicked a couple of lengths clear at the top of the straight, but Smullen tracked the leader, while Ask and Manifest started to toil.The race developed into a two-horse battle and although Age Of Aquarius stuck to his guns, he was always going to struggle against Rite Of Passage, a winner on his two previous starts on the Flat including the November Handicap at Leopardstown and third in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his last run.Smullen added: “The race went to plan and we got a dream run up the inner and that allowed us to save plenty of ground. When I asked he quickened like the good horse we knew he was.”Jockey Tom Queally reported Manifest losta shoe and Ryan Moore said the ground was too quick for 11-4 favourite Ask.The stewards’ handed Pat Smullen a four day ban for careless riding (July 1-2 and 4-5), while Johnny Murtagh received a three day suspension for excessive useof the whip (July 1-2 and 4). 

Courtesy: www.racingpost.com 

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