Passenger got his career back on track with a narrow victory over West Wind Blows in the Weatherbys Global Stallions Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor.
Sir Michael Stoute’s runner won the Wood Ditton at Newmarket on his debut and had been highly tried since.
While he finished a fine third in the Dante to The Foxes for one so inexperienced, he ran no race at all in the Derby and had been off since.
Reappearing after 84 days off the track and against older horses he was breaking a barren run for Stoute, who was celebrating his first winner of the month.
Passenger (3-1), under Richard Kingscote, and West Wind Blows had it between them for over a furlong and while it looked like the three-year-old would win convincingly, Simon and Ed Crisford’s runner battled right to the line and was only beaten a short head.
Incredibly it was Stoute’s 10th win in the Group Three event.
Kingscote said: “Things didn’t go right for him at the start of the summer but he’s learning his way and he picked up nicely.
“I’d sat on him a couple of times at home, he’s really done well and he’s moving beautifully. The boss just wanted to freshen him up after it all went wrong at the Derby.
“I lit him up from the gate as I wanted to get the first half right there, the boss said ‘just make sure you get the second half right today!’ and we did.
“He’s been off a while, he’d done a nice bit of work but a positive experience will have done him the world of good, the second is not a slouch either.”
Candleford bounced back to his best in good style when running out a clear-cut winner of the Weatherbys Digital Solutions August Stakes.
Without a win since last year’s Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot, which came on his first run of the season, he had been set some stiff tasks since then.
It was perhaps no surprise that he got back to winning ways this week given the form of his trainer William Haggas, who landed the Lowther Stakes, the Gimcrack and the Galtres at York already in recent days.
Ridden by Pat Dobbs, who was securing a double on the card following the earlier victory of Trefor for Charlie Hills, Candleford (9-2) tracked Solid Stone into the closing stages before making his bid for home.
John and Thady Gosden’s Lion’s Pride came with a run on the outside but could not quite get on terms and Solid Stone battled back for second, beaten three-quarters of a length.
Dobbs told Sky Sports Racing: “That was lovely and the ground was perfect for him, it was a bit soft the last day.
“He’s still a good horse, he’s not easy to place off that sort of mark but he was in the right race today, it’s nice to get a big win for Mr Haggas.”
