Jeanne Girl notched the first win for Coolmore Stud shuttler Rip Van Winkle at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Jessica Harrington-trained filly saw off some blue-blooded rivals in the Castlemartin & La Louviere Studs Maiden (1200m).  “We think she’s smart and she handled the ground grand,” Harrington said.  “Hopefully she continues improving and, the way she moves, will like good ground as well.

“Niall (McCullagh) was blaming himself for not winning more easily.  He said she was travelling so easily and she didn´t know what to do when she hit the front.”

Jeanne Girl (2f Rip Van Winkle – Sister Golightly by Mtoto) will now head towards  the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.  Her dam is an unraced half-sister to Falmouth Stakes winner Rajeem and she cost owner Richie Galway 26,000 euros as a yearling at the 2013 Goffs Orby Sale.

Rip Van Winkle (Ire) was trained by Aidan O’Brien to win the Tyros Stakes at two, Sussex Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at three, and Juddmonte International at four.

Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) has averaged 120 mares in three southern books shuttling to Windsor Park in New Zealand.  His first (NZ) yearlings starred at Karaka earlier this year with a top price of $375,000 paid for the Blandford Lodge colt out of Pins mare Dulcine’e.