Flying Five falls to Masterpiece

Dutch Masterpiece (second right) bursts through to collect

August 24 2013 06:47 PM

Joseph O'Brien produced Dutch Masterpiece with a withering late run to claim the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh.

Gary Moore's 4-1 shot was one of a host of British challengers in the Group Three event, with Kevin Ryan's Hamza the 5-2 favourite, and the latter was always in the firing line.

Dutch Masterpiece was ridden with a little more restraint by the champion jockey before being asked to go about his business inside the final furlong, and he responded admirably, showing thrilling acceleration to get up and beat Hamza by half a length. Russian Soul led the home brigade in third place, a further neck away.

Dutch Masterpiece was completing a hat-trick following June triumphs at Chester and Newmarket.

O'Brien said: "He jumped and he travelled well. The ground is quick, safe ground. It took a bit of time to get comfortable in the race. He got a nice split through and he went to the line well.

"It looked a decent enough race on paper. Mr Moore was very happy with him and he thought he had a massive chance if the ground was safe enough."

Another sprint prize was marked for export when Corporal Maddox (10-1) flashed home late to take the Dublin Bay Cruises Handicap under Chris Hayes.

It was a terrific performance by the Ron Harris-trained six-year-old, who had plenty in front of him entering the closing stages and had to pulled wide for his effort before getting up close home to beat the always prominent Sassaway by three-quarters of a length, with Heuston third and top-weight Nero Emperor coming from another parish to snatch fourth.