Will Rite of Passage run this season? Or be kept for the flat?

not heard anything since listening to the weld interview after the gold cup win, he certainly stated the champion hurdle was a race he really wanted to win and as he didnt go down to Australia this must be a possibility if fit, great price too if he runs

Must be a good chance he goes for the CH, if so i'd expect one, maybe two runs beforehand maximum.

Dermot Weld is hoping to finalise a 2011 campaign for Ascot Gold Cup winner Rite Of Passage in the next two weeks.

The trainer has yet to decide whether to run the gelding over hurdles this winter or target him at another visit to Royal Ascot in June.

“He’s in great form, he’s back cantering,” said Weld.

“We’ll make up our minds in a couple of weeks time whether he comes back over hurdles or not, or whether we will train him specifically for the Gold Cup again.”

Rite Of Passage was a decent novice hurdler last season, finishing third to Peddlers Cross and Reve De Sivola in the Neptune Management Investment Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. However, his biggest day came in the summer when he outpointed Age Of Aquarius to take the feature event of the week at the royal meeting at Ascot.

I would be surprised if they did go down the hurdles route.

Why would they risk this horse over hurdles when they can make so much more money on the flat.
I would love to see him in the champion hurdle or the stayers hurdle but if he were mine I would milk the cup races on the flat with him.

He doesnt act at Cheltenham so no point sending the horse there.....

why would they have him back cantering now if they were aiming him at Ascot a clue there in itself.

if hes done no work for 6 months stood in his box he needs to be out cantering in  build up for Ascot
A long process in bringing to full fitness.

Well he states he's already back cantering which probably means he was back in some sort of work to a degree before christmas, now why would DW bother ROF in the conditions we've had to put up with this winter for a race thats run in summer. I think he's getting him ready for something a little sooner :)

I doubt it tbh.

Come on Dermot Weld, give us an answer, Cheltenham or not?

A RETURN to hurdling this season for Rite Of Passage has been virtually ruled out with connections preferring to train the seven-year-old for another tilt at the Ascot Gold Cup, a race he won last year.

Rite Of Passage, who twice won over hurdles last season before finishing third behind Peddlers Cross and ReveDe Sivola when favourite for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle, is quoted at 25-1 by Stan James for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

His trainer Dermot Weld said on Thursday: "Rite Of Passage is very well, but following discussions with his owner, Dr Ronan Lambe, we have decided to concentrate on training him for the Ascot Gold Cup, which will be his first main target this year.

"Therefore, it is highly unlikely that he will run over hurdles this season."

Rite Of Passage not run since beating Age Of Aquarius by a neck at Royal Ascot last June.