Furthest Land showed a tenacious attitude to come out on top in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

Julien Leparoux sat just behind the pacesetters in the early stages of the contest and unleashed his challenge at the top of the home straight.

Michael Maker's four-year-old soon quickened to the lead and kept up the gallop in the final furlong to beat Ready's Echo.

Godolphin's Midshipman was third, while Aidan O'Brien's hot favourite Mastercraftsman finished fourth after a troubled passage in the home straight.

A downcast Johnny Murtagh said of Mastercraftsman: "I would have like to have got out at the three-eighths pole and that would have been better than having to restrain him like I did.

"Listen, he should have won and he was unlucky.

"We were happy with the draw at the time but I think if I'd had a high draw I would have won."

Maker, who spent many of his formative years with D Wayne Lukas, who has won more Breeders' Cup races than anyone else,

said: "I was just praying that Julien found some room.

"We had a lot of victories when I was working with D Wayne and I'm very pleased that I've got one in my own name, I've got a long way to go to catch him up though!"