Rip Van Winkle win Juddmonte International Stakes
If he keeps improving like this, Aidan O’Brien may have another champion on his hands.
Rip Van Winkle had looked to be a light of former days when he could finish only sixth to Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and then still seemed to have been put in his place by Canford Cliffs when he was runner-up in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood three weeks ago.
However, neither O’Brien nor stable jockey Johnny Murtagh lost faith and they were justified – but only just. Two furlongs out in the Juddmonte International Stakes they looked not better than the minor places. The Khalid Abdullah pair, Byword and Twice Over, had come clear of the field and Twice Over was just beginning to assert with less than a furlong to run.
Murtagh reckons it takes a little time for Rip Van Winkle to hit full stride but when he does it is pretty telling. He cut down the pair in the last hundred yards to beat Twice Over by a half-length, wit6h Byword three-quarters of a length back in third.
Waiter’s Dream became the latest colt to enter the reckoning for next season’s Classics when he won the Group Three sportingbet.com Acomb Stakes.
Having drifted to the stands’ rail in the penultimate, Waiter’s Dream stretched clear in the final furlong to win by four-and-a-half lengths from Silvertrees. The disappointment of the race was the favourite, Lake Ontario.
Aidan O’Brien’s two-year-olds had appeared to have turned the corner and this colt had won by five lengths at Naas a fortnight ago. However, he was at the rear of the field for much of the race with Johnny Murtagh getting very physical from halfway and, although he picked up to finish fourth he looked a long way from being in the mix for the big autumn prizes.
Kieren Fallon had already been impressed by Brian Meehan’s colt and that view of Waiter’s Dream was not altered by this win. “He gave me a proper fell when he won at Newbury last time and he’s worked well since. He gives you the feel of a proper horse,” Fallon said, adding of the move to the rail “it was just a bit of greenness. He hung that way - I let him go – he’s still a big baby, he’s still learning and I think he’s going to go places. ”
“I’ve always liked this race – Kings Best won it a few years ago and went on to win the Guineas.”
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