Michael Jarvis saddled an eight-length Group winner at the Curragh yesterday - but it wasn't Holding Court.

Instead, Alrassaam bolted up in the International Stakes from the home-trained Jammaal after an impressively powerful front running performance that had everything Holding Court's display hadn't.

"It softens the blow a bit," said Jarvis. "A slow pace wouldn't have suited him and he's made it from the front before so I was happy to see him there." Even this consolation had a kick for rider Philip Robinson, however, as he didn't realise he was so far clear and continued to use his whip on Alrassaam. The stewards gave him a one-day suspension for that.

"The horse can stop quickly," Robinson argued. "But he's done it well here. He's a big gross horse that needed two runs to come right."

In contrast, everything went right for the Derby-winning rider John Murtagh, who also won over the classic trip in the last when the 25 to 1 Tragic Lover landed the Waterford Crystal Handicap.

Conormara was a 12 to 1 winner of the Scurry Handicap, but only just lasted home by a head from the topweight One Won One with Newpark Lady another head away in third.

"Ideally we'd have liked him covered up, but he travelled so well that Niall (McCullagh) let him run," said winning trainer David Hanley. Kevin Manning, on the fifth Poco A Poco, got a two-day ban for careless riding.

The top Australian rider Damien Oliver rode his first winner for Aidan O'Brien, and his sixth in all on his current Irish sojourn, when he stepped in for Mick Kinane on Honours List in the Railway Stakes.

"Damien looked after him well. I was very pleased with his ride," said O'Brien, who also won the opener with another long odds on two-year-old, Mozart.

This time it was Seamus Heffernan who came in for the winning ride as Mozart sluiced up by eight lengths from Speirbhean.

"He's in all the big races," O'Brien said.

Warren O'Connor deserved at least a nomination for most courageous ride of the week when the horse called Courageous never left the rail in the straight and squeezed up the inside of Tryphaena to land the two mile handicap, while Fran Berry was also patience itself when getting Rush Brook home in the mile handicap.