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Murtagh makes it six of the best for O'Brien
Aidan O'Brien likened Mastercraftsman to Giant's Causeway as the devilishly tough colt wrestled the St James's Palace Stakes from the clutches of Delegator.
Giant's Causeway provided O'Brien with the first of six victories in the three-year-old Royal Ascot showpiece in 2000 and his nickname of the 'Iron Horse' was not undeserved.
With four Group Ones in the locker, including the Irish 2000 Guineas, Mastercraftsman is well up on the former hero at this early stage of his career but will need to shine in the all-aged heats later in the summer.
Johnny Murtagh found himself taking over from his pacemaker Set Sail around the home turn but was soon joined by both English 2000 Guineas runner-up Delegator and Lord Shanakill.
Delegator (4-1) even snatched an advantage of about a head inside the final furlong, but 5-6 favourite Mastercraftsman was not interested in being second best and pulled back to finish a neck in front at the line.
"He's just one of those great horses," said O'Brien. "He's becoming very like a Giant's Causeway, the sort of horse that doesn't mind a mile or a mile-and-a-quarter.
"He's an amazing horse with speed, stamina, and all ground comes alike to him.
"It was a great performance from the horse and a marvellous performance from Johnny.
"He's a big, straightforward horse and is very uncomplicated – he just jumps out and you let him roll.
"Johnny said he's very idle when he hits the front but watching the race, I knew that Johnny didn't think he was beat."
For Delegator and trainer Brian Meehan it was redemption after his disappointment on soft ground in the Irish 2000.
Meehan said: "Fifty yards out it looked like he had his head in front but the other horse came back strongly.
"It was a hell of a run and it pours ice on all the people who knocked him in Ireland.
"I'll have to take him home and sleep on it before deciding where he goes next.
"Royal Ascot always brings out the emotions but they were wrong and we were right."
Lord Shanakill was a further length and a half back and Middleham handler Karl Burke added: "He's never let me down but I felt I let him down by running him in the 2000 Guineas (when unplaced).
"Today he's proved he gets the mile and that he's trained on. He'll have an entry in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly (July 5)."
Murtagh, however, also incurred the wrath of the stewards, picking up bans totalling seven days which will rule him out of the Coral-Eclipse meeting at Sandown next month.
He was hit with a five-day suspension for careless riding aboard Frozen Fire in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom earlier in the month, and will miss the final two days of the Royal gathering as a result.
He first caught the stewards' eyes yesterday on Mastercraftsman and was stood down for one day (June 30) for using his whip with excessive frequency.
Worse was to come, though, as he was hit with a six-day ban for his ride on Kayf Aramis in the marathon Ascot Stakes. The stewards give him five days (July 1-5) for careless riding on the final bend after his mounted drifted right without correction.
Paco Boy silenced his critics when turning in an impressive display in the Queen Anne Stakes under Richard Hughes, the first leg of an opening day treble for the jockey and a double for trainer Richard Hannon.
Plenty of people doubted the colt was capable over a mile after defeat in the Lockinge but he stayed on strongly to beat Cesare.
Hannon said: "I think it's put a few old jokers to bed. If he didn't stay a mile he stayed it better than the others anyway. I couldn't be more delighted."
The pair combined to spectacular effect again as Canford Cliffs annihilated his Coventry Stakes rivals, stretching six lengths clear. Hannon added: "I love this horse and it would be hard to find a two-year-old I've had as good as him."
The jockey's treble was completed in the Ascot Stakes as he guided Jane Chapple-Hyam's Judgethemoment to a narrow win.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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