Weld still double-handed in Gold Cup Dermot Weld has kept his options open by leaving both Rite Of Passage and Pale Mimosa among the 19 horses to stand their ground for the Gold Cup. Rite Of Passage was a late withdrawal from the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown last week, leaving stablemate Pale Mimosa to land the race. However the participation of both horses remains unclear, with Weld subsequently reporting that he would not risk Rite Of Passage - winner of the Gold Cup three years ago - on quick ground and that the race might come too soon for Pale Mimosa after her exertions. There were few surprises among the other 17 left in the race, with all of the expected market leaders still among the line-up. Andre Fabre has left in Last Train and Francois Doumen intends to run Top Trip, while German trainer Andreas Wohler also retains two possible starters in Altano and Earl of Tinsdal. Of the home contingent, Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor relies upon last year's winner Colour Vision, while recent Sagaro Stakes winner Estimate is on course to give The Queen a royal runner. Number Theory, Model Pupil, High Jinx and Times Up, all beaten in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown last month, are all in contention, while John Oxx's Saddler's Rock is also sure to be among the market leaders.
