Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

International glory for Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle gatecrashed the sponsor’s party as he stole the Juddmonte International at York yesterday from under the noses of Twice Over and Byword.
Prince Khalid Abdullah has long coveted a race his breeding operation has been associated with for more than 20 years, but the wait must go on as neither of his flag bearers could last the full length of the unforgiving Knavesmire straight and were overwhelmed by Aidan O’Brien’s raider with 100 yards remaining.
It was 7-4 favourite Rip Van Winkle’s first success at 10 furlongs (2000m) after a career spent largely in Group One company over a mile, and O’Brien has deliberately preserved him for the second part of this campaign with a return to the Breeders’ Cup at the forefront of his mind.
“You have to say Johnny was marvellous today,” said O’Brien. “He just let him take his time to come into the race and let things happen. They went slow but we didn’t mind as at home, he can pick up anything. It takes him a stride to get into top gear but he won well on the line.
“We wouldn’t mind stepping back to a mile again now and we could look at the QEII at Ascot. There’s the Irish Champion Stakes, but we have the other horse for that (Fame And Glory).”
Meanwhile, Richard Hughes would not swap his ride on Martyr for anything else in today’s Totesport Ebor at York.
Richard Hannon’s five-year-old has found a new lease of life this season, winning three of his last four starts, and carries a 4lb penalty in the showpiece race of the meeting after a laughably easy success at Goodwood.
“I’d be the first one to say I never thought he was an Ebor horse,” admitted Hughes, speaking ahead of the launch of www.lovetheraces.com.
“I’d been riding him over a mile and a half and every time I rode him he was off the bridle half a mile out.
“Then when I rode him at Goodwood I was able to take a pull on him half a mile out, he absolutely loved that.
“It was the first time he was able to gallop within himself at Goodwood and even though he was placed at Ascot
twice he had bad draws and I had to really use him up to get a position.
“He’s as tough as a lion and has a good draw (four) as you can ride him up in the first three and he stays.
“He’s got everything you need in a horse to win the Ebor, he just needs good ground. I’m happy, I wouldn’t swap him.”
- Sportinglife.com

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