Racing:His faith in Rip Van Winkle has been unshakeable all season and Johnny Murtagh is counting on his trusty comrade to deliver in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita tomorrow evening.
The Ballydoyle ace has stayed loyal to the Sussex Stakes and QEII winner throughout the summer despite his on-going foot problems and believes his partner's guts and determination will reap the ultimate reward under the Californian sunshine.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien has said a similar performance to those which Rip Van Winkle produced at Ascot or Goodwood will be good enough to see him home on the Pro-Ride and Murtagh is of the same mind set.
The jockey has spent the week enjoying Los Angeles and after a family trip to Universal Studios on Wednesday, his sights are now firmly set.
He said: "I have always dreamed of winning the Classic. It is the best race and all of the best horses run in it.
"It is the one race I would love to win.
"When you are sitting at home watching it on TV and the Classic comes along you do get that buzz.
"Come Saturday and for Rip to win it would be brilliant. You can see what it means to everyone at Ballydoyle and everyone is getting a buzz out of this."
Rip Van Winkle was noticeably sweaty when working on the track Wednesday morning, but Murtagh is unfazed by that and believes his partner can end the winning run of wonder-mare Zenyatta.
He said: "The lad who rides him out says he is really bouncing and I have always thought the surface would suit him with the way he moves across the ground.
"He stays well and I think that a mile and a quarter around here will be tailor-made for him.
"He is a horse I really like. He has a fantastic cruising gear and a great heart.
"If he can win this I think it will justify all of the thoughts I have had of him.
"He would die for you and is all heart. He has got it all and there is no weakness with him.
"Zenyatta looks very good, but she hasn't run against The Rip yet."
Zenyatta also has yet to run against her males rivals and last year's Ladies' Classic winner will be racing over further than she has ever gone in the biggest field she has experienced.
Her trainer John Shirreffs said of the 13-times winner: "With Zenyatta we realised we had a horse that was very special and she kept developing.
"We felt that if she trained well we would go for the Classic. She is on the brink of making history so why take that away. Let her decide how it goes.
"I really don't know much about European form. I watched Rip Van Winkle's last race and listened to the commentator. That's all I really know except that he is a great horse."