Here is some good news for Danny Grant fans. In Ireland, Dan Grant connected with Charleville, a 20-1 chance, in the 3 10 race at Galway on Wednesday. Galway is holding a racing festival for flat horses and jump horses. Charleville won by eight lengths on soft going. Would you believe that the time for the 2400-metre race was two minutes 52.33 seconds? It was slow by 17.83 seconds and that tells you how deep the course was.

The feature at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday was the Group I Sussex Stakes over 1600 metres. The going at Goodwood was good. With Lahaleeb a late withdrawal, eight went postward. Rip Van Winkle was the favorite at 6-4. Ghanaati, the 1000 Guineas winner and the Coronation Stakes winner at Royal Ascot, was the second favorite. Paco Boy, Richard Hughes up and successful in Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne Stakes, had a large following.

There had been doubt late Tuesday whether Rip Van Winkle would run. A problem had been noticed in one of the hind hooves. The Galileo colt was put on a plane at 5 AM on Wednesday to make the trip to Chicester. The decision was taken after John Murtagh had checked the colt out before the race and it was a decision that brought cheer to a large contingent of fans. Malibu Bay set a brisk pace and Rip Van Winkle, away alertly, lay second. Ghanaati, the only girl in the race, lay close to the Ballydoyle pair. Paco Boy, held up, raced in striking range. John Murtagh hit the front with 600 metres to travel. Ghanaati went in chase. Jockey Hughes was alerting Paco Boy to the task. There were 400 metres left and the bird had flown. Ghanaati was under pressure and not making up ground as Rip Van Winkle kept finding more. Paco Boy finished on and cut down the lead by a length or two but was not a threat. Rip Van Winkle’s time was 1 37.16. It was two and one half lengths between the winner and the second and another four lengths to the third horse. The winner’s share of the purse was 170,310 pounds.

Rip Van Winkle was fourth in the 2000 Guineas and again fourth in the Epsom Derby with John Murtagh. With Murtagh under a suspension, Rip Van Winkle was handled by Jimmy Fortune when running a length behind Sea The Stars in Sandown’s Eclipse Stakes. The Sussex Stakes was Rip Van Winkle’s first win at the highest level.

Aidan O’Brien commented. “He has high cruising speed. I don’t mind taking Sea The Stars on. The QE II in September is an attractive option. His status was in doubt today and I left it to John.”

Jockey Murtagh was winning his second Group I race in four days. He said, “I have maintained he is one of the best. He showed it today. I knew he was unbeatable today. From now until season’s end, he will be hard to beat over a mile and a mile and a quarter.”

Rip Van Winkle is by Galileo. The dam is Looking Back by Stravinsky. It is apparent that Rip Van Winkle’s speed comes from the dam side. With Mastercraftsman and Fame And Glory in his barn, Aidan O’Brien will have a strong hand in the big races coming up.

Tuesday was opening day at Glorious Goodwood. Ryan Moore had two winners. Moore won with Harbinger and Manyriverstocross. Moore’s double on Tuesday prompted William Hill to trim the odds to 4/5 for leading jockey. On Wednesday, Poppy Seed, a Moore mount, was a non runner. The second mount was the 50-1 Mia’s Boy in the Sussex Stakes. Mia’s Boy was unplaced. Richard Hughes had a winner on Tuesday and is a 4-1 chance. Jimmy Fortune also had a winner on Tuesday and is 8-1.

Ryan Moore failed on the heavily supported Main Aim in the Grade II Betfair Cup on Tuesday. Moore tried to make it all on the Sir Michael Stoute trainee. J J The Pet Plane disputed the lead in midstretch. However, at the wire, it was Finjaan, T P O’Shea up and trained by Marcus Tregoning, who outpaced them all when it mattered. J J The Jet Plane finished seventh and Main Aim was eighth and last. Immediately after the race, J J The Jet Plane was transferred to Richard Hannon’s stable. Now, it is left to Richard Hughes to work his magic spell on the South African sprinter.

Masterofthehorse, now with Debbie Mountain, ran unplaced in the Betfair Cup. At one time a star in the Ballydoyle hierarchy, Masterofthehorse was a well-bet 4-1 chance.

Richard Hannon’s Monsieur Chevalier recorded his sixth win in 2009 when staging an incredible rally in the Molecomb Stakes on Tuesday at Goodwood. Richard Hughes was in the rear in the 1000-metre sprint. As the race took a serious turn, jockey Hughes was looking for room. A seam appeared and the 10-11 favorite shot through with a tremendous turn of foot. It was a drawing away win.

Richard Hughes spoke. “You seem like you’re never going and all of a sudden when it matters, he comes good and he’ll go wherever you want him to go.”

Karl Burke, one of the better known names in England in the training department, has failed in his bid to get a stay on his ban. Trainer Burke was found guilty of passing information for reward and his hearing is coming up on August 17-18. Burke’s Lord Shanakill (in the Sussex Stakes) and Corporal Maddox (in the Grade II Vintage Stakes) on Wednesday were saddled by Alan Jarvis, Burke’s father in law. Lord Shanakill, not in the frame on Wednesday, gave Karl Burke his first Group I win in France when scoring in the 1400-metre Prix Jean Prat in Chantilly in early July.

Talking of Chantilly, here is news that is worthy of mention. An All Weather track will be part of Chantilly in 2011. Work will start in July 2010 and Chantilly’s major races will be run at the other Paris tracks, Saint Cloud, Longchamp and Maisons Laffitte. The project is expected to take six months. Chantilly’s AW will be the fifth of its kind in France. Deauville, 50 miles from Paris and the summer capital of French racing, has an AW surface. The Chantilly venture is the brainchild of the Aga Khan.

Frankie Dettori will be in Chicago on August 8 to ride Gladiatorus in the Arlington Million. Gerald Mosse of France will replace Dettori as the captain of ‘team Europe’ in the Shergar Cup at Ascot on August 8. Mallesh Narredu will be part of the Rest of the World team.

The prestigious Saratoga meeting opened on Wednesday. Rain forced the moving of the grass races to the main (dirt) track. In the James Marvin Stakes, a 1400-metre Stakes, Gold Trippi found his best stride late to catch Pyro in the waning yards. Pyro, racing for Godolphin, was coming back after a race on October 25 in 2008. Despite bumping in the lane, Pyro, the early favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby, had the lead and knuckled under. Riley Tucker carried the public purse and fell back after being prominent until the last 200 metres. Honour Devil, now in the Kiaran McLaughlin barn, was a scratch.

The Grade III Schuylerville Stakes, a 1200-metre race for freshman girls, went to Hot Dixie Chick. A Dixie Union filly, Hot Dixie Chick was ridden by Robbie Albarado and trained by Steve Asmussen. Trainer Asmussen has obtained a stay on the six-month imposed on him by judges at Lone Star Park.

Two races of importance are coming up in America. On Saturday, August 1, Mine That Bird takes on five rivals in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park. There are slots in the track building and there is a casino (shuttle runs between the casino and the course) and Mountaineer, as the name suggests, has the backdrop of a mountain. In 2004, I was at Mountaineer and was not able to use my mobile phone because of the mountain range. Mine That Bird is the 4-5 morning line choice. The race will be on dirt. This is the first time a Kentucky Derby winner has raced at a West Virginia track. Mike Smith rides Mine That Bird. Big Drama, endowed with tremendous early foot, is the 9-5 second favorite. Eibar Coa will ride. Steve Asmussen has two runners, Soul Warrior and Sunday Sunrise. Awesome Rhythm and Monty’s Best complete the lineup.

On Sunday, August 2, Rachel Alexandra takes on the boys in the 1.25 million dollar Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Summer Bird opposes Rachel. The wonder filly will arrive at Monmouth on Friday and will school with horses going in the sixth race. If Rachel Alexandra wins, she will be the second filly to win the Haskell. Serena’s Song won the Grade I race in the 90s.

Jess Jackson, primary owner of Rachel Alexandra, has said that the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita is not an option. He is reluctant to race her on Santa Anita’s pro ride track. The synthetic surface is unpredictable, according to Mr Jackson. Despite pressure from the media and hundreds of bloggers, Mr Jackson is standing firm.