Rip Van Winkle the wake-up call in Sussex Stakes
After the victories of Twice Over and Harbinger Eclipse and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes racing’s answer to the generation game is firmly on the side of the senior division.
The latest match-up of the ages comes on the second day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting in the Group One Sussex Stakes. The eight-runner field appears to whittle down to a duel between Canford Cliffs, the three-year-old star, and Rip Van Winkle, the older horse who has to prove that he still has what it takes.
Richard Hannon had never lost faith with Canford Cliffs, despite a run of three defeats between August and May, and has been rewarded with victories in the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
This season Rip Van Winkle has been restricted to just the one run when he was seven-and-three-quarter lengths sixth to Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes at the royal meeting.
However, his form from last year stacks up well. Having been beaten just a length by Sea The Stars in the Eclipse he beat Paco Boy by two-and-a-half lengths in the Sussex, which looks solid form given that Paco Boy has subsequently won the Lockinge Stakes and ran Goldikova to a neck in the Queen Anne.
His trainer, Aidan O’Brien, said last week that Rip Van Winkle “was just ready to start as Ascot. Maybe it just didn’t work out for him. He was very handy, which we wouldn’t have been worried about, but he just got very tired in the last furlong which he was entitled to do after being off for such a long time. Most of them have been getting tired for their first runs but we’ve given him plenty of time since, we’ve been very happy with his work and we’re looking forward to Goodwood with him. He’s definitely made a lot of improvement since Ascot and he’s on the right road now.”
Hannon has rarely taken a wrong road with his two-year-olds this season and runs King Torus in the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes. However, King Torus must carry a 3lb penalty for his victory in the Group Two Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting and a line of form with Sonning Rose gives Crown Prosecutor an excellent chance.
King Torus was two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Sonning Rose when they were second and fourth in the Chesham Stakes at the royal meeting while Crown Prosecutor beat Sonning Rose by a neck at Goodwood in May (from which seven runners have subsequently won) and then put up a promising performance to win a conditions race at Salisbury a month ago that Sir Percy won before taking the Vintage.
The sportingbet.com Goodwood Handicap puts an emphasis on stamina which should suit Markington. Coming off a successful spring campaign over hurdles, Markington has won handicaps at Pontefract and Beverley and this two-mile-five-furlong marathon should play to his strengths and Contact Caterer might just need a decent run from stall 11 to deliver on the promise that he has shown at times this season in the Racing UK Handicap.
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