Mastercraftsman impresses in Breeders Cup prep
Both trainer Aidan O’Brien and Johnny Murtagh expressed themselves “delighted” by his five lengths win over Fiery Lad, with the winner’s stable-companion Augustusthestrong third.
In a fast race, Via Galieli and Augustusthestrong set a searching pace, with Mastercraftsman almost twenty lengths off the pace at one stage. But, turning for home, the 2/9 favourite began to close, hit the front with a furlong and a half to race, and strode clear to record a smooth success.
“You’d have to be delighted with that,” declared Aidan O’Brien. “There was no pussy-footing out there. They went a strong pace and he proved that he handled the surface.
“Johnny was very happy with him. Nobody knows the horse better than Johnny and he was very cool out there. He told me that, once he moved, the horse got there too quickly. This colt is all speed and it’s very hard to beat class.”
O’Brien confirmed that Mastercraftsman is likely to go for the Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita next month, although explaining: “The lads will discuss plans, but the Classic is his probable target. And if ‘Rip’ (Rip Van Winkle) goes he’ll run in the Classic.”
Mastercraftsman’s win enabled Murtagh join Pat Smullen in the Jockeys Championship race.
But the reigning champion re-established his lead when guiding the Dermot Weld-trained 5/4 favourite Gentleman Jeff to victory in the finale, the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap.
In the two-year-old action, the Jim Bolger-trained Free Judgement bounced back from an unlucky but disappointing run in last Sunday’s Goffs Million Sprint, to land the opening colts’ maiden impressively in the hands of Kevin Manning while Plum Sugar, representing Tommy Stack and Wayne Lordan, built on her debut run at Leopardstrown to beat Ballydoyle’s Awe Inspiring in the fillies’ equivalent.
Earlier, at Gowran Park, Clicksnmortar recorded a facile all-the-way win for Edward O’Grady and Andrew McNamara in the Thomastown, Hurdle, his only anxious moment being a slip on the home-turn before the second last flight.
O’Grady commented: “He’s a lovely horse that needs good ground. We’ll try to win again with him over hurdles. He’s only five and will make a nice chaser in time.”
Ruby Walsh followed-up his four-timer at Sligo on Thursday when scoring on favourite Keelaghan, for Tony Martin, in the Pricewaterhousecoopers Handicap Chase, having earlier lost out on Cloone Stream, runner-up to the Mouse Morris-trained outsider Baily Rock in the Kilkenny Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle.
Robbie Hennessy saddled his first winner since stable star Sublimity scored at Leopardstown last Christmas when Coliseum, bought of out of Michael Stoute’s yard for just £3,000, gained an overdue win in the opening Knocktopher Maiden Hurdle.
