Masoun

Masoun was impressive in winning the 10-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Saturday. Smartly away and settled into a lovely racing rhythm by Ben Coen along the inside through the early stages of the race, he travelled well into the home straight. Taken off the rail at the two-furlong marker and outside the favourite Puturhandstogether as that rival kicked for home, Masoun picked up well, hit the front at the furlongs pole, and he kept on really strongly through the final furlong to get home by over almost two lengths from Solar Breeze, who stayed on well on the far side.

This was another step forward by Johnny Murtagh’s horse. A strong finisher over shorter trips on a couple of occasions early this season, he was good on his last run before Saturday at Down Royal over an extended 10 furlongs when, ridden prominently from his wide draw, he led from fully over two furlongs out, and he just had enough in hand to get home by a neck from Apercu, who won at Naas next time off a 3lb higher mark. Raised by 3lb himself for that win, Masoun put up a career-best performance here, given a super ride by Ben Coen, ridden just behind the pace and his turn of foot deployed at the ideal time. The handicapper raised him by 9lb for this win to a mark of 89, but that is a mark that could still under-rate him, given the steepness of his upward trajectory. An ideal target now would be the Northfields Handicap, back over this course and distance on Irish Champions Weekend, a race that Johnny Murtagh has won twice in the last four years, and in which he had the 1-2-3 in 2022.

The Curragh, 24^th August 2024