| Rip Van Winkle | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Galileo |
| Grandsire | Sadler's Wells |
| Dam | Looking Back |
| Damsire | Stravinsky |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | 2006 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Roberto Brogi |
| Owner | Susan Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith |
| Trainer | Aidan O'Brien |
| Record | 14: 5-4-0 |
| Earnings | £1,201,333 |
| Major wins | |
| Tyros Stakes (2008) Sussex Stakes (2009) Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (2009) International Stakes (2010) |
|
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
Rip Van Winkle (foaled 2006 in Ireland) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse sired by the great dual Derby winner Gallieo. Like his sire Rip Van Winkle was also trained by Aidan O'Brien.
Contents |
Winning his maiden at the first time of asking Rip Van Winkle then went on to win the Group 3 Tyros Stakes, won by the 2008 Derby winner New Approach the previous year. After that effort Rip Van Winkle started as the 6/4 favourite to win the Dewhurst on his final start as a two year old but found himself stuck behind a wall of horses in a bunch finish in which the first four home were covered by only half a length. Denied a clear run he finished seventh, just two lengths behind Intense Focus. It was a disappointing result for his connections but it was a un full of promise and there was every reason to look forward to his contending in the classics the following year.
Despite the Dewhurst defeat Rip Van Winkle started second favourite for the following season's 2000 Guineas largely due to his being still very unexposed and apparently the stable's first string as Johnny Murtagh had chosen him over Mastercraftsman. This was to be Rip Van Winkle's first clash with the eventual winner Sea the Stars who would go on to dominate the flat season in record breaking style. Rip Van Winkle finished a good fourth staying on in the style of a horse ready for the 1 mile 4 furlong test of the Derby.
On Derby day he was again prominent in the betting but, despite Johnny Murtagh sticking with him and claiming he was the best horse he had ever sat upon, it was his stablemate Fame and Glory who went off marginal favourite just ahead of Sea the Stars. Rip Van Winkle finished a fast fininshing fourth after taking too long to find top gear in the staight from off the pace and the entire Ballydoyle team of six horses were again well beaten by a cruising Sea The Stars.
In his next race at Sandown, back at a mile and 2, Sea the Stars was bidding to become the first horse to win the Guineas, Derby, Eclipse Stakes treble since Nashwan. Rip Van Winkle tracked him throughout the race and the two went clear two furlongs out. He looked like overtaking Sea the Stars, a half brother to Rip Van Winkle's sire, but as he drew level his nemesis excellerated again and went on to win by half a length.
Rip Van Winkle deserved to win a group one race and finally did so on his next outing with a storming success dropped back to a mile in the Sussex Stakes where his stamina won through after he set a furious pace that was even too strong for his pacemaker. Paco Boy and the record breaking 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati were well behind him at the finish. He followed up with another Group One winning the QEII Stakes, again at a mile and again from the front, his stamina winning the day from Guineas second Delegator who looked like closing but found no extra in the final 100 yards.
His 2009 season concluded with a disappointing run in the Breeders' Cup Classic behind Zenyatta after he appeared not to handle the track.
Rip Van Winkle's three year old season was constantly disrupted by injury and his four year old campaign was also set back due to niggling injury problems. His first start was disappointing and he badly needed the run finishing well behind Goldikova and the Paco Boy in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He then tried for a repeat performance in the Sussex Stakes where he again tried to make his stamina tell but was beaten into second late on by the three year old star Canford Cliffs.
Still looking like he'd improve for that run Rip then went back up to a mile and 2 which had seen arguably his best performance when behind Sea the Stars in 2009's Eclipse Stakes, when tackling a high class field in Yorks International Stakes. Despite his lack of a win that season he went off as favourite. He travelled strongly throughout the race, but when the Khallid Abdullah pair Twice Over and Byword kicked for home three furlongs out, he seemed to take an age to accelerate. He gained and gained then finally hit top gear a furlong out as he was guided out to the faster ground of the stands side rail. Still it seemed like he'd left it too late but he flew in the final yards to get up on the line by half a length going away and even seemed in the end to win a bit snugly. It was Rip Van Winkle's third Group One victory.
Soft ground seemed to go against him on his next two starts, the Irish Champion Stakes in which he was comprehensively beaten by a strong front-running ride by half-brother and stable mate Cape Blanco.Two weeks later he was back over a mile in the QEII stakes at Ascot where he was nipped by a nose on the line by a three year old after an aggressive ride where he committed early trying to make his stamina on the soft ground tell. Poets Voice, the son of soft ground specialist Dubawi and winner of the Celebration Stakes, beat him in the last stride, perfectly ridden by an in form Frankie Dettori who won four out of his five races on the day at Ascot.
Rip Van Winkle retired to Coolmore Stud in 2010