JIMMY FORTUNE is delighted to have picked up the spare ride on Rip Van Winkle in Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
With Ballydoyle stable jockey Johnny Murtagh failing in an appeal to get his ban – picked up for his ride on Kayf Aramis at Royal Ascot – reduced, Aidan O’Brien has decided to turn to Fortune to partner the colt in Saturday’s Group One showpiece.
Murtagh has been on board Rip Van Winkle on all his five racecourse appearances, including when he finished fourth to dual Classic hero Sea The Stars in both the 2,000 Guineas and last time out in the Derby at Epsom.
Sea The Stars is the 10-11 favourite with most firms for Saturday’s Eclipse with Rip Van Winkle a best-priced 9-2 with the big-race sponsors.
Fortune partnered O’Brien’s Beethoven to finish fourth in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot when Murtagh was also banned.
And Fortune said: “It’s great news – I’m delighted.
“With Johnny suspended the ride was available, and my agent just rang me up with the news this morning.
“Dropping back to a mile and a quarter should suit him and I should think he has a great chance – I’m very hopeful.”
Meanwhile officials suggest the ground at Sandown will not be ‘rattling-fast’ on Saturday. After another hot and sunny day Sandown’s director of racing Andrew Cooper said: “Friday looks the first sign of us having any rain this week.
“The view we’ve taken is that we should do enough, irrigation wise, in the early part of week so we go in to Thursday night on good to firm ground.
“If we catch some rain, it shouldn’t ease too much, but if we don’t, it shouldn’t be rattling-fast ground.”
