Derby punters rip into Winkle

AIDAN O’Brien’s Rip Van Winkle has been the subject of a monster gamble for the Investec Derby at Epsom next month.

The Galileo colt finished a close-up fourth on his seasonal reappearance in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month but has still to tackle any distance further than a mile.

Guineas winner Sea The Stars and and Rip Van Winkle’s stablemate Fame And Glory are still towards the head of the market, but yesterday’s support has led some bookmakers to believe Rip Van Winkle could be the number one hope for Ballydoyle.