Replay - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The odds-on favourite Rip Van Winkle held off a late challenge by Zacinto to win a thrilling Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Johnny Murtagh and his mount made a crucial move to the front with two and a half furlongs to go and looked good. Although Delegator challenged briefly under Frankie Dettori, it was Zacinto and Ryan Moore who almost overhauled the Aidan O'Brien-trained challenger. But Murtagh got an extra burst of acceleration to win by a length. The three-year-old had finished fourth behind Sea The Stars in both the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby and second to his Irish rival at Sandown's Coral-Eclipse Stakes. But his win in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood was his first of the season and this victory sets him up for a run in the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita in early November. Murtagh said afterwards: "I've found out how to ride him, what he likes and doesn't like. "I rode him the other morning and I've always thought a lot of him. I'm not going to change what I have always said about him. "It was a long way in the straight, but he stays this trip well and really put them to the sword and has come out on top in a tough race.  | 606: DEBATE |
"He's a typical Ballydoyle horse. He's courageous and brave and come the big day they are always there." O'Brien revealed afterwards that the horse was lame for three weeks after his run at Goodwood and praised the efforts of his stable staff. "The lads at home have done a marvellous job to keep him right. He had an interrupted preparation after Goodwood and it's only in the last two weeks he's had a good run, so we were very worried," he said. "We didn't put in a pacemaker as we would have had to put in a Group One sprinter and we haven't got one. "It was lovely the way it happened today - he's brave and he stays. He is class. Johnny was masterful on him. He'll go for the Breeders' Cup Classic and we're really looking forward to it and hopefully we might get a smooth run after today."
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Ascot) 1. Rip Van Winkle (J Murtagh) 8-13 Fav
2. Zacinto (R L Moore) 18-1
3. Delegator (L Dettori) 5-2
4 ran
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