The erratic career of Rip Van Winkle took another twist on Friday morning, when it emerged that the horse had a slight scare before his run in the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday.

The Galileo colt, so well-regarded within the ranks of Ballydoyle, took a knock on the inside of a hock on Thursday, but remains on course to take part in the Group 1 feature.

With apparent excuses when drawn out in the car park in the Dewhurst, a serious injury days before his 2000 Guineas fourth and running with his stamina put to the ultimate test when finishing in the same place in the Derby, the colt’s followers will no doubt be dismayed at the recent news.

However, Aidan O’Brien said: "Rip Van Winkle gave himself a bit of a knock on the inside of a hock on Thursday. We were a bit concerned, but we were happier with him this morning. He cantered and seemed okay, so we're happy enough to let him run."

It will be Rip Van Winkle’s third encounter with John Oxx’s superstar, Sea The Stars, with the latter currently 2-0 up in the rivalry.

As a result of the news, Rip Van Winkle has been eased to 5/1 for the race, in most places; with Sea The Stars currently a best priced 4/6 with William Hill.