Macarthur strikes again for Ballydoyle

Racing : Macarthur gave trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh their fifth win of the meeting with victory in the Hardwicke…

Racing: Macarthur gave trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh their fifth win of the meeting with victory in the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot this afternoon.

But it was a close-run thing as the 11-8 favourite only got up in the dying strides to deny Multidimensional (25-1) by a neck.

Last year's winner Maraahel (5-1) was five lengths back in third.

Maraahel's pacemaker Shahin took the field along after Happy Boy had broken away smartly while Ted Durcan grabbed a handy rails position for Multidimensional.

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Murtagh had Macarthur perfectly placed in fourth a long way out before switching him to the outside to make his challenge in the straight.

He had his work cut out, however, as the Henry Cecil-trained Multidimensional set sail for home and it was only the horse's stamina that enabled him to grab this Group Two contest in the last 50 yards.