Rip Van’s the man at last

RIP Van Winkle tore the BGC Sussex Stakes field at Glorious Goodwood yesterday to pieces and earned an elusive Group One success after a series of near-misses against dual Classic winner Sea The Stars.

A catalogue of problems have beset Aidan O’Brien’s colt throughout the summer, and he provided all concerned with an 11th-hour injury scare on Tuesday evening when a crack appeared on his near-hind hoof.

Fourth to Sea The Stars in both the 2000 Guineas and Derby before finishing second to him in the Eclipse, his participation here went right down to the wire, with O’Brien even accompanying the son of Galileo down to the start to monitor his condition.