Time passes her Musidora test for Cecil

A Yorkshire roar greeted Henry Cecil and his game filly Passage of Time who defied a throat abcess to record a neck victory from Sweet Lilly in the Musidora Stakes at York yesterday.

The filly, who provided Cecil with his first Group One win in six years when landing the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last November, heads to the Oaks as 11-4 favourite with totesport. It was an eighth Musidora win for the 10-times former champion trainer.

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Should she triumph at Epsom it would be an eighth Oaks and 24th domestic Classic victory for the ever popular master of Warren Place.

Cecil said: "She is well balanced and travels very well. I'm glad she's had a race as she's been trained for the Oaks. The throat problem can be a nuisance and rear its ugly head — we'll see how we go."

ALTHOUGH racing goes ahead at Newmarket tomorrow and Saturday the tribute to Lester Piggott, who suffered a heart attack in Switzerland on Monday, has been postponed until the autumn when it is likely the great man will be there. He is recovering well in a Lausanne hospital.