Aidan O'Brien crowned a great day at the Curragh when he captured the featured G1 Aga Khan National Stakes with Beckett (10/1) but not as expected with leading fancy Darwin (1/3-4/9f).
The Ballydoyle maestro saddled 4 for the day's feature but Darwin never threatened the principals (6th) under Mick Kinane and was later found to be lame behind.
Beckett, on the other hand, forged to the front for Seamus Heffernan 1 1/2f out and drew clear on the testing ground to defeat stable-companion King's County.
'We've always thought a lot about this horse and he's going to get a mile real well next season. He's an ideal horse for next spring and is a guineas horse,' said O'Brien of Beckett who cost #1.7million as a yearling.
The son of Fairy King is a best price 33/1 with Cashmans for the 2001 Newmarket Classic.
Runner-up King's County is 'a possible for the Racing Post Trophy' according to O'Brien who also saddled Bonnard (8/1-7/1) to finish 8th in the big one and 5 winners in all during the session.
Mick Kinane was seen at his brilliant best in the G3 Blandford Stakes when he conjured up a winning surge aboard Chiang Mai (7/4-13/8f) to pip a game Chimes At Midnight and English raider Happy Change in a thriller.
'She doesn't do much at home - she's so lazy but is a very tough filly. She's been ready to run for a month but we've been waiting for this ground as she needs an ease. She's a possible for Arc weekend,' said O'Brien.
Shoal Creek (2/1-7/4-5/2f) provided the O'Brien/Kinane alliance with another victory with a bold front-running display in the Solonway Stakes while Black Minnaloushe became winner no. 5 for O'Brien in the Blenheim Stakes.
Earlier O'Brien's York Gimcrack 3rd Juniper (1/4f) gave supporters some anxious moments in the closing stages of the 6f opener when just holding on by the minimum margin to defeat Dr Dignity.
Favourite backers got it right again in the Autumn Handicap when Mouramara (5/1-3/1f) carried the colours of big race sponsor the Aga Khan to a 2 1/2L victory under Johnny Murtagh. She is also bound for the big Paris weekend.
O'Brien was denied a record six winners for the afternoon when Northern Rock, the 16/1 outsider of the John Oxx pair, stayed on under Catherine Gannon to pip Leopard Spot (7/4-11/8f) by a sh.
Sinndar's half-brother Sindapour (7/4-3/1), who was reluctant to load for Johnny Murtagh, finished 6th behind his stable-companion. BF
