Passage primed for Longchamp bid

Passage Of Time put herself firmly on course for the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp next month with a pleasing gallop in testing conditions on the July Course at Newmarket.

Henry Cecil’s Musidora winner is nearing a return to the track, having been sidelined for treatment to a throat abscess since finishing down the field in the Vodafone Oaks.

Passage Of Time covered a mile and quarter under Ted Durcan, with the jockey allowing her to stride on from work companion Market Forces inside the final furlong.

The Prince Khalid Abdullah-owned filly will now head to Longchamp on Arc Trials day, after which plans for the remainder of the season will become clearer.

Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: “She has pleased there in every way. Ted seemed very happy with her and it was just a nice, sensible piece of work, and she has quickened.

“Most importantly she has enjoyed it and she is on schedule for us to hopefully run her in the Prix Vermeille on September 16.

“The nice thing is that she has some options after that. If she stays the Vermeille really well then she will have the option of the Arc or the Prix de l’Opera, depending what happens earlier in the day.

“And then we will look at the Breeders’ Cup and the Filly & Mare’s race, should we be so lucky.”

Grimthorpe added of her throat problem: “There was an abscess and it cleared up straight away after the Oaks when we were able to treat it.”