Masterpiece passes Group test
The Ed Dunlop-trained five-year-old dug deepest of all to overhaul Gerard Butler's Jack Sullivan close home and prevail by the minimum margin.
Eddie Ahern took the latter to the front two furlongs from home after the field had tacked across to the near side in the straight, but Philip Robinson had the 4-1 winner in his slipstream and pounced over a furlong out with a determined challenge.
It was nip and tuck all the way to the line with Court Masterpiece gamely hanging on to land the spoils. Majors Cast was a further three lengths away in third, but not for the first time, Arakan looked the unluckiest horse in the race as he stayed on late to finish a never-nearer fifth.
Autumn Glory, the well-backed 11-4 favourite, was next to last with Vortex bringing up the rear.
Dunlop said that he was delighted for the horse, who gave him a big payday at Ascot last year when he won the totesport International.
"Philip gave him a great ride and I think that he was delighted they came across otherwise he may have been boxed in, like some of the others in behind us may have been," he said.
"I'm really pleased for the horse he's won a Group race now and it will mean a lot to him in the future.
"He loves it here. He seems to be getting better with age and he liked the ground."
Robinson admitted that a furlong out, he had envisaged a slightly more straightforward victory.
"The runner-up gave me a bit of a fright as he kept finding more and it took me a while to get by him," said the jockey.
"It is always better ground on the stands side when it gets soft here and it is soft now. I had thought we might come up the middle, but the jockeys are just looking for the freshest ground."
Butler has had his eye on the Breeders' Cup for Jack Sullivan all season long and this performance was not about to make him change his mind. He said: "He took me by surprise at Lingfield last time out. I probably had him too undercooked and he was ring-rusty, but he has worked exceptionally since then and I was confident he'd give a good account of himself.
"This is a prelude to Belmont.
"As another step we could go to York for a Listed race and then we will start him off in America in the Woodward Handicap in September, before he goes for the Jockey Club in October.
There was a Cork success in the Turf Club EBF Maiden when the Mark Johnston trained Prince of Light, jointly owned by Claire Riordan and Kieran Coughlan, won second time of asking.
Ridden by Joe Fanning, Prince Of Light beat Racer Forever by a length and a quarter.
Wining trainer Johnston said: "He's a sharper horse than we would ever have imagined so we won't be going particularly careful with him and we wouldn't be frightened to go over further with him."
