Rite of Passage

Rite Of Passage is a retired racehorse who was trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld. The chestnut gelding is a son of Giant's Causeway and Dahlia's Krissy.

The highlight of the long distance runner's career came at Royal Ascot during the Gold Cup where he was successful in 2010.

After a run of injuries after his success at the royal meeting, he retired from the racecourse in October 2012.

Rite Of Passage's opening outing came as a four-year-old at Galway in a national hunt flat race. He made a winning start as he scored after going off the 9/4 favourite in the 2m contest.

He kept up his 100% record at Naas on February 22, 2009 when turning over the well fancied Quadrillon. This time it was over the longer trip of 2m3f, which he stayed with ease.
His early success prompted connections to run him at the Cheltenham Festival of 2009 in the Champion Bumper. He suffered his first loss at Prestbury Park when coming home third, behind the winner Dunguib and Some Present.

Rite Of Passage returned on May 4, 2009 at the Curragh where he was unable to hit the frame in Ireland.

His first outing in a flat race came at Ballinrobe in which he was able to justify his 4/6 favourite tag by winning by over two lengths.

He then won the most valuable contest of his career at the time at Leopardstown. He enjoyed the heavy conditions at the Irish track over 2m to prevail by eight lengths.
Rite Of Passage had been schooled to go over hurdles by Weld in training and he faced his first test over obstacles on a racecourse at Leopardstown on January 24, 2010 in a maiden.  He was able to come out on top in the 15-runner field ahead of Grey Soldier and Fully Funded.

Another win followed at Punchestown over hurdles before a shot at the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival. Again he was able to pick up some valuable prize money there by finishing third in the race won by Peddlers Cross.

A return to the flat paid dividends for connections in the Ascot Gold Cup on June 17, 2010. He went off at 20/1 and faced a battle with Age of Aquarius near the end of the 2m4f trip. Weld's stayer was able to get up by a neck in a tight finish.

Rite of Passage's last run came after victory in the British Champions Long Distance Cup on British Champions during 2012. 

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