Mastercraftsman claims Curragh Classic

Aidan O'Brien bagged his ninth straight Irish Classic victory as Mastercraftsman registered a striking success as the 6-4 favourite in the Boylesports.com Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The powerful colt was fifth in the English equivalent three weeks ago on his seasonal bow and bloomed after that effort to streak clear in the testing conditions to win a third Group One event by four and a half lengths.

Newmarket runner-up Delegator failed to fare as well on the heavy ground and Brian Meehan's one-time ante-post favourite was eighth of the nine runners after dropping away in the final furlong.

Mastercraftsman, who had top-class juvenile form in similar conditions, was always handily placed under Johnny Murtagh and galloped into an unassailable lead passing the two-furlong marker.

John Oxx's Rayeni and the Richard Hannon-trained Soul City gave chase but were always challenging for the minor honours and finished second and third respectively.

Murtagh elected to ride fourth-placed and Derby-bound Rip Van Winkle at Newmarket, with Pat Smullen taking the mount aboard Mastercraftsman.

O'Brien, winning the Irish 2000 Guineas for the sixth time, said: 'The horses only started coming during the first week of May and they have been coming every day since.

'Pat was very happy with him at Newmarket and said he really started to get going in the last furlong and a half.

'Horses have been improving from their first runs to their second and some have been improving drastically, and we have been happy with him at home since.

'The performance he put up last year in the Heinz was unbelievable - to jump and run over six furlongs on good, fast ground was unbelievable.

'For a horse to do that with that kind of speed and that kind of courage behind, then the sky can be the limit.

'He is an unusual horse as he has such a high cruising speed, so much class and bags of courage.

'Johnny said he won very easily today so we would love to go to Ascot now for the St James's Palace.'

The win was a third Irish 2000 Guineas for Murtagh, who added: 'I know people will say the ground brought out the best in him but it is not as big of an issue as people think.

'He goes through this ground but handles fast ground as well.

'He is a very high-class horse and is very brave and tenacious.

'He has what every good horse needs - a heart and a will to win.'

The Irish 2000 is the only domestic Classic to elude Curragh trainer Oxx, who sent out Sea The Stars to defeat Delegator at Newmarket.

He said: 'He's run well and was a little delayed getting his run as there were a few horses looking for the same gap.

'That was a big step up and two months ago if you'd told me he'd be second in a Guineas, I would not have believed you.

'Soft ground is important to him and we'll look at seven furlong and mile races in this country.'

Soul City made his seasonal bow in the race, and Hannon's son and assistant, Richard junior, said: 'He's run a super race on his first run back and he's liked the ground.

'We've always thought he would end up a mile-and-a-quarter horse and that is what Richard (Hughes) said coming back in.

'It's hard to say what the plan will be but he will probably go a mile and a quarter.

'The French Derby is an option but that is another step up and I think I'd prefer to build his campaign up through the season as he peaked in the autumn last year.'

Delegator proved uneasy in the market and after losing his favourite's tag to Mastercraftsman, he failed to fire when asked for an effort from jockey Jamie Spencer a quarter of a mile from home.

The rider said: 'He didn't go in the ground and was never going at any stage.'