Jump to User Comments Rip Van Winkle proved just how good he is when holding the sustained challenge of Zacinto to land his second Group 1 victory of the season.

Aqlaam broke well from the stalls and led the field in the early stages, but Rip Van Winkle was right on the leader’s tail and Johnny Murtagh decided to send his charge to the front fully three furlongs out.

Aqlaam, a Group 1 winner last time out, had no answer as the winner swept by and dropped right away, leaving just three to fight out the finish.

First Delegator started to move up menacingly, but as feared the petrol started to run dry and from the back, 18-1 outsider Zacinto emerged as the most likely to winner.

Ryan Moore had ridden the perfect race on the son of Dansili and he ranged up to get within a length of the leader. However, Murtagh still had plenty of horse under him and asked his mount for maximum effort.

Rip Van Winkle, the 8-13 favourite, showed all his class in front and found an extra gear for Murtagh. Zacinto just could not pass the son of Galileo and if anything the winner was going away again at the finish.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge will now be aimed at the Breeders’Cup Classic and on this effort he will take all the beating.

O’Brien said: “We are looking forward to going to America and the plan is to run in the Classic.

“We have no horse at home who can lead him, so it was brilliant the way the race turned out. It is only in the last two weeks that we have had an uninterrupted preparation. It was a brilliant performance and Johnny was superb on him."

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Khalid Abdullah, said of Zacinto: "It was nearly, but you get nought for finishing second. We had been thinking about the Champion Stakes before this race, but we'll also now have to think about the Breeders' Cup Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile Dirt."

Sir Michael Stoute added: "I gave him a shout! He's on the up."

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said of third placed Delegator: "On the day, at the time, at the place, there were two better horses. There are no excuses, he wasn't good enough.

"He'll still go for the Breeders' Cup Mile, though. With today's horses and Goldikova in there, it'll be a huge test, as was today. He came up short, but we'll see what happens in America."

This could prove to be the final race of Aqlaam's career, as connections felt the classy four-year-old may still be feeling some of the injuries he suffered earlier in his career.

Owner Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager Angus Gold said: "Richard (Hills) said he was never moving as well as he normally does. He has had a lot of problems and has carried injuries all through his life. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, but he has run through his injuries.

"We've felt that every day is a bonus with him. William and his team have done a fantasticjob, but we've known for a while that his problems have been catching up with him.

"We were thrilled to win a Group 1 with him, but though we'll have to speak with Sheikh Hamdan, there's every chance he'll now be retired."