Rip Van Winkle will bid to confirm York superiority over Twice Over

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)  

Twice Over and Winkle clash again in Champion

RIP VAN WINKLE and Twice Over are set to renew rivalry in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday - 18 days after their pulsating clash in the Juddmonte International.

The 1m 2f event has gone to Aidan O'Brien' five times in the past with victories for Giant's Causeway, High Chaparral, Oratorio and Dylan Thomas twice. The race has also had its disappointments for the Ballydoyle team, most notably the narrow defeatsinflicted on Galileo and Hawk Wing by Fantastic Light and Grandera respectively.

Rip Van Winkle has always been held in high regard at Ballydoyle and, just days on from recording his third top level win in the International Stakes, the four-year-old clashes again with Twice Over who he beat by half a length in the York race.

He is joined by stablemates Cape Blanco, the Irish Derby winner, and Beethoven with a field of six declared.

O'Brien said on Friday: "Rip has improved with every run this year. He hasn't done a lot since York but what he has done we've been very happy with. He seems to be in very good form. We're looking forward to the race and he will appreciate the fast ground."

On the same card O'Brien runs Lillie Langtry in the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes but the Mick Channon-trained Music Show is the likely favourite for the Group 1 contest.

Channon told his website: "There's no hiding places but they'll be as wary of us as we dare be of them I can assure you! Fran Berry is a top jockey but I don't think it matters too much who's on top of her because she's so easy to get on with. She's hopefully the best I've trained and we'll find out in time. 

"As far as I'm concerned, as long as they go a decent pace I expect to be there or thereabouts at the finish."

O'Brien also has the favourite in the feature race in Britain on Saturday, Starspangledbanner in the Group 1 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock as he chases a Saturday Group 1 treble.

His main market rival is last year's winner Regal Parade whose trainer David Nicholls hopes the ground does not dry out too much.

He said: "His form has improved a bit every run when he's had the ground. He's hardly been beat when we have run him on good or good to soft. He's only been chinned when he's gone to Dubai or run on fastground."