Passenger on the road to recovery after successful surgery

Connections of Passenger are optimistic he will make a return to the track next year following encouraging signs in the early stages of his recovery from his latest injury setback.

Sir Michael Stoute’s colt has had an interrupted campaign following his scintillating comeback at Chester and was making just his second start of the season when sustaining a condylar fracture while finishing third in the York Stakes in late July.

Having been pulled up safely by Richard Kingscote post the Group Two event, he underwent surgery for the injury and is now recuperating.

The early prognosis is positive and his team are hopeful that the son of Ulysses will be able to continue his racing career in 2025 once he makes a full recovery.

Alan Cooper, racing manager for owners the Niarchos family, said: “He’s come out of his surgery in good shape and is starting his rehab programme. That will take a bit of time but hopefully we will have him back next year.

“He had some screws put in the cannon bone to consolidate it and is now out of the clinic and starting his rehab.

“It’s still early days yet, but the hope is we can get him back – and of course he will be carefully monitored along the way by the veterinary surgeons.”