Regulation just held off the fast-finishing Beyond Thankful to take the last at the Curragh today, the Irish Field Handicap, providing his trainer and jockey, Mick Halford and Shane Foley, with a double on the card (won the second with Russian Soul .

The brown gelding finished second to Moran Gra in the Cambridgeshire over the course and distance on his last start, and he was sent off the 4/1 favourite to go one place better this afternoon.

After breaking from the stalls well, the course and distance winner made virtually all and he kept on well inside the final two furlongs, just holding off the late surge of Beyond Thankfully by a nose.

The runner-up, for Kevin Manning and Jim Bolger, was returned at 8/1, while Back Burner finished a head back in third under Pat Smullen for Eddie Lynam at 20/1.

Mick Halford said afterwards: "We've come out on the right side of two very close finishes today but you couldn't deny him that win.

"He was second in the Cambridgeshire and he ran some great races without winning.

"He likes having a bit of space and he did well to hold on as Shane had to commit a bit sooner than he wanted.

"If he went high enough in the ratings we might consider going to Dubai with him."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee