RACING:Mastercraftsman just prevailed in a desperate struggle with Shaweel to give Aidan O'Brien a seventh Bank Of Scotland (Ireland) National Stakes at the Curragh. The Ballydoyle colt, sent off the 9-4 second-favourite, remains unbeaten after four starts but Johnny Murtagh needed all his strength in the saddle to get the better of Mark Johnston's Gimcrack winner.
The disappointment of the race was John Oxx's 9-10 market leader Arazan who was being shoved along from halfway and could only finish third.
The field was taken along by O'Brien's Sea Of Marmara but Murtagh made what was probably a race-winning call at halfway when he moved on to the rail.
With Shaweel taking up the running with two furlongs to go, young Greg Fairley was sandwiched between two Irish riding legends, in Mick Kinane and Murtagh.
Kinane, though, was soon asking Arazan to go quicker than he could manage in the desperate conditions and it was left to Mastercraftsman to wear down Shaweel in the dying strides to win by a short head.
"He has to be very good to do what he has done today," said O'Brien afterwards. "It was his first run back after a break and the ground was very deep.
"He has a great attitude and an awful lot of speed.
"We'll now have a look at Arc day (Prix Jean Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium)."
Deirdre Johnston, wife of Mark, said of the runner-up: "It was so close, I can't believe we've only been beaten by a short head but it was still a great effort.
"Greg gave him a really enterprising ride and was very cool.
"He's got lots of entries and we'll have to talk to John Ferguson (owner's representative), but the Dewhurst is a possibility."
Paddy Power cut the winner to 4-1 from 5s for the 2000 Guineas and pushed Arazan out to 12-1 from 8s.
But Coral were not impressed by the winner and pushed him out a point to 6-1 while cutting stablemate Rip Van Winkle to 5-1 from 6s.
In the preceding race, O'Brien's Freemantle was well and truly turned over as Nafaath ran out a ready winner in the Bank Of Scotland Ireland EBF Fund Maiden.
Having finished third in a hot maiden nine weeks ago Freemantle was expected to confirm his promise and was warm order to do so.
However, Murtagh was sending out distress signals a long way from home and it was Kevin Prendergast's Nafaath (4-1) under Declan McDonogh who handled the testing conditions better than anything else.
Lamzena Lady stuck on for second a length and a half away with Four Star General third.
"This is a good solid horse - he's certainly not little," said Prendergast. "I'll have to talk to the owner about him but he'll probably now run over nine furlongs at Leopardstown."