Big Bucks v Rites of Passage.

I've just requested ROP to be added to the World Hurdle market.

We need horses like him to challenge Bucksy to get his price as near evens as possible

If ROP was to go for the World, he'd probably have one prep run in Ireland in Jan/Feb and then come over - his season would be largely geared towards the flat though.

add spice chield wouldnt it

Weld says if alls well horse will be trained for Ascot Gold Cup next year

It would be good to see but on comparative ratings BB is around 20 lb superior. RoP looks a fairly solid 115ish horse on the flat (even after today) so he'd have to improve at least a stone for hurdleso challenge.

Winning today was a tremedous training performance - and it's always good to see an NH horse stick it to the flatties - but I'd also be put off by Weld's terrible Cheltenham record.

RoP is a good Group 1 flat horse - BB is a super star.

chief he is near 6/4 on here now , only to 70 odd quid but 6/4 is 6/4.

6/4 should be 4/6 imo

I agree. It's also odd that he always seems to go off around 4/5-10/11 yet always does the job.

I do find it peculiar he's around 6/4 having won 17 straight including 4 world Hurdles - where Sprinter Sacre is only 5/4 for a race he's never won in a much hotter division. I don't mean that to knock SS's potential at all - but BB is utterly proven.

good point well made

I'd be surprised if Rite of Passage goes hurdling again, surely a flat horse now (and better prize money) The one we all want is Quevega in the World Hurdle :(

dermot weld said on atr this morning that if he says sound ascot gold cup the target, but could run in the world hurdle on the way.

Dermot Weld - "It was just a long process to get those tendon fibres to repair. We thought we had him right when we ran him nearly a year later, but unfortunately we damaged them again.

"We had them re-treated again and it was a long time. If we had a clear run with him we'd have won the last two Gold Cups in my opinion. I'm pretty confident he would have. He's a very talented racehorse."

Weld has not ruled out Rite Of Passage, who was third to Peddlers Cross in the Neptune Management Investment Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010, running over the smaller obstacles in the future.

"I will discuss it with Dr (Ronan) Lambe in the coming week. We'll see how he is and we will review everything," he said.

"There is no definite decision going to be made but if he did go back it would be for the World Hurdle.

"He's a super leaper, he's an athlete. He is getting on in years so it is something we will consider."