| UNC Charlotte tackling a big project Kickoff is three years away, but planning for the UNC Charlotte football stadium is already in the hurry-up phase. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Van Winkle can give O'Brien shot at title • Queen Elizabeth II Stakes offers chance to close gap• 'We have always thought the world of Rip,' says O'BrienThe Queen Elizabeth II Stakes will be part of a new Champions' Day card next year, designed to draw a line under the British Flat season in mid-October. The final renewal of the race in September, though, could still help to decide at least one champion, albeit one on two legs rather than four.Barely 48 hours ago, Richard Hannon seemed all but over the line in the trainers' championship, with Canford Cliffs ready to seal the title in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The withdrawal of the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, though, has offered Aidan O'Brien a chance to mount a late charge, and a willing ally, too, in Rip Van Winkle."The season is in full momentum now, these big races come up one after another and every one is important," O'Brien said. "We never really look at the opposition or think about it too much, we just try to have our own horses as good as they can be on the day, and hope everyone else does the same."They have tried to get their horse there and we can only feel sorry that they haven't, because we know how difficult it can be. Everyone tries very hard in this game and sometimes it happens for you and sometimes it doesn't, and you feel sorry for them because we've been in the same position."Every horse that walks into Ballydoyle as a two-year-old will have something in its pedigree or conformation that suggests it has the potential to be a champion. O'Brien treats them all as individuals but he would not be human if a few did not find a special place in his affections.Rip Van Winkle is surely one and there was awe in O'Brien's voice when he spoke about the problems the colt had overcome before winning last year's Sussex Stakes. "We always thought the world of him," O'Brien said. "He's always been very straight, very natural. He never needs much work, it just comes very easily to him."We started a bit later with him this year, to try to be a bit gentler with him and he's been progressing from every run. He hasn't done a lot since he ran at Leopardstown [when he finished second in the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month] but he doesn't need to because he's so natural."Johnny Murtagh, O'Brien's stable jockey, is another long-standing member of the Rip Van Winkle fan club. "Makfi [the English 2,000 Guineas winner] will be a tough nut to crack," Murtagh said, "but I'm looking forward to riding Rip again. He's a very willing horse who always gives 110%."With the problems he had last year [with his feet] it was amazing what he achieved. He turns up in all the big ones, he's won another Group One [the International Stakes] this year and he's got a real following."It's a huge day's racing at Ascot and the faster the ground the better it will be for him. He was a bit disappointing last time [in Ireland] but the ground was definitely soft there.""He will have a hell of a lot going for him when he goes to stud. He's by Galileo, he's won Group Ones at a mile and 10 furlongs, and hopefully he'll add another one [at Ascot]."O'Brien, with seven winners in the UK this season, is almost £400,000 adrift of Hannon – who has 183 winners – in the trainers' championship, but tomorrow's card offers a chance to make rapid progress. In addition to Rip Van Winkle in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, worth £150,000 to the winner, he has fancied runners in the Group One Fillies' Mile (£123,000) and the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes (£70,000).With Cape Blanco, O'Brien's Irish Champion Stakes winner, likely to start a warm favourite for the Champion Stakes – worth more than £200,000 – in three weeks' time, he is quoted at 6-4 for the championship by William Hill, who offer 5-4 against Hannon. Sir Michael Stoute – who is £100,000 behind Hannon and has just two runners at Ascot tomorrow – is a 3-1 chance.Aidan O'BrienHorse racingGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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