Pathfork has been all class in a couple of runs to date but the son of Distorted Humor had to show a different side to his make-up to preserve his unbeaten record in the Group 1 boylesports.com Vincent O'Brien National Stakes.
Fran Berry (partnering his first Group 1 winner) led on the 2/1 shot two furlongs out, from the pace-setting Casamento but he had to be brave to hold the renewed effort of that one and there was a head between them at the line. Supporters of the favourite, Zoffany wouldn't have been happy from a long way out and he finished five lengths further back in third.
A delighted winning trainer Jessica Harrington (her initial success in this grade) said: "Fran said he had to be really tough and that he didn't really like the ground. Pure class got him there in the end and it's just fantastic. I felt sick beforehand and my panic during the race was that he was in front for so long.
"I'm going to the sales at Keeneland in the morning and I'll make plans with the owners then. He did have a very hard race there."
Meanwhile Berry said: "It's amazing, you'd be dreaming it would happen and I've had a couple of good opporutnities lately and this was the last opportunity of the year.
"Pure class got him home today as he hated the ground - didn't enjoy it at all. He is a different horse on better ground. Fast is really his ground. He travelled well thoughout and he had a good bit of hassle from the Ballydoyle horse on his outside (Rudolf Valentino), making him overrace a bit through the race. I knew Declan's horse (Casamento) from working on him and knew he was a smart horse. I was trying to nurse my horse as I didn't want to get in a battle with him (the second) and stayed wide of him and thankfully it worked."
The sponsors cut Pathfork in the betting for next year's 2,000 Guineas from 10/1 into 8/1 whilst the same firm introduced the very promising Casamento (winner of just a Tipperary maiden coming here) at 14/1.
