Windsor Park Mourn Loss of Rip Van Winkle

Media Release - Saturday August 1

It is with a heavy heart that Windsor Park Stud announce the loss of their very successful sire Rip Van Winkle following a short illness.

RIP Rip Van Winkle

By the world’s best sire Galileo, Rip Van Winkle had just completed his most successful season with a stellar year on the racetrack that included Group One winning stars Te Akau Shark and NZB Filly of The Year Jennifer Eccles.

“It’s a devasting blow for us and the industry losing a successful sire, especially one who has just enjoyed a great season on the racetrack,” Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick said.

“We can only look forward to the remaining crops he has to come and to the impact his daughters are sure to make at stud.”

Advertisement

An international sire of 31 individual stakes winners, Rip Van Winkle had sired Group One winners over 1200m, 1400m, 1600m and 2400m and confirmed his versatility by siring Group One winners in all age categories.

As a racehorse, Rip Van Winkle, who was trained by Aidan O’Brien, was twice named world champion miler with an elite Timeform rating of 134 - the same figure earned by his record-breaking illustrious sire.

With Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles nearing a return and promising gallopers Germanicus and Subpoenaed to run for the proven sire this spring, the progeny of Rip Van Winkle look set to fly the flag for their late sire for seasons to come. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.