Passenger's promising return, a trainer going places and a truly Royal Ascot filly - three things we learned this week

Three key takeaways from across the week . . .

Passenger announces himself

This time last year Passenger was the hype horse of the season. Having made a winning debut only on April 20, he then was sent off favourite for the Dante and was the major eyecatcher as he dead-heated for third in a luckless run.

Perhaps that all came too soon, though, as he failed to back up his growing reputation when finishing 12th of 14 in the Derby and was given a quiet time of it after that, with only one more start in a Group 3 at Windsor.

The form of his win there worked out well, with the runner-up West Wind Blows subsequently finishing second in two Australian Group 1s, and on the evidence of his winning reappearance in the Huxley Stakes, Passenger may now have the tools to fulfil his early potential.

Passenger wins the Huxley Stakes at ChesterCredit: Edward Whitaker

His Chester rival Israr is no more than a decent yardstick, but he had race fitness on his side and enough confidence behind him to go off favourite. 

However, he was beaten with a bit to spare by Passenger, who is now as short as 11-2 for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. He looks sure to be a big player in the middle-distance division.
Sam Hendry

Olly Murphy firmly on the up

If Olly Murphy had got his way then Pickanumber may not have participated in Saturday’s Swinton Hurdle, but the 22-1 shot’s emphatic success at Haydock could be the start of a seismic season for the trainer.

Copperless won the 2021 Swinton for Murphy off the back of his worst strike-rate in a season, 14 per cent in the 2020-21 campaign, since saddling his first runner in 2017. However, unlike three years ago, Pickanumber’s 15-length victory in the £100,000 handicap has capped off a sensational few weeks for Murphy.

Since Thunder Rock’s win in the Listed Premier Chase at Kelso on March 2, Murphy has landed the Imperial Cup with Go Dante and enjoyed success in Ireland for the first time courtesy of Brewin'upastorm’s Grade 2 victory at Fairyhouse.

Pickanumber wins the Swinton Hurdle at HaydockCredit: John Grossick

That win held special significance for Murphy, given his time spent in the country as assistant to Gordon Elliott, and was swiftly followed by his first Grade 1 strike since Itchy Feet’s Scilly Isles success in 2020 when Strong Leader struck in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Pickanumber helped Murphy reach a century of winners in a season for the first time at Huntingdon last month and his final haul of 102 winners was achieved from 106 fewer runners than the 80 winners he trained in 2020-21. 

Now in his eighth season, targets such as a first Cheltenham Festival winner and helping stable number one Sean Bowen go one better in the jockeys’ championship are not insurmountable for Murphy if he builds on this hot run of form.
Charlie Huggins

Plenty of promise about royal filly

Much of the focus is on the upcoming Epsom Classics but one horse in Lingfield’s Oaks Trial caught the eye with Royal Ascot in mind.

The King and Queen-owned Treasure, a stablemate of the winner You Got To Me, had the least experience in the field and lacked a recent outing, unlike most of her rivals, but ran a highly encouraging race to be beaten less than two lengths in fourth.

A winner on heavy ground over a mile at Nottingham on her debut in October, Treasure faced a different test over this longer trip on an undulating track and drying ground but gave way only late on, having been right in the mix a furlong out.

Her jockey Rossa Ryan took plenty of encouragement from the effort, saying: “It was a super run and in time my filly might be the one to take out of the race, especially on softer ground. She'll be smart."

Desert Hero was a royal winner at Ascot’s big meeting last year and Treasure has a Ribblesdale entry. She may lack experience for this race – only Frankly Darling has been successful on her third start in the past decade – but she is talented and one to keep on side.
Jack Haynes

The Last Word:

Cook Review: Favourite-backers take another soaking as Longchamp follows Newmarket in providing Classic shocks 

Racing Post Ratings: Ambiente Friendly thrusts himself firmly into the Epsom reckoning with a time not far off a course record set in 1990 

Ante-Post Angles: My 25-1 and 12-1 Epsom hopes beginning to look stronger after intriguing week of Classic clues 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning