PADRAIG HARRINGTON was more like his old self in the second round of the Hassan Trophy in Rabat in Morocco yesterday, but a one over par 74 saw him lose ground at the halfway stage of the £275,000 tournament at Royal Dar Es Salam.

Harrington's three over halfway total of 149 left him 12 strokes behind Sweden's Mathias Gronberg and Spaniard Ignacio Garrido, who jumped three ahead of defending champion Nick Price, and England's Mark Roe.

A good night's sleep had left Harrington refreshed for his second assault on the formidable Trent Jones Red course. An eagle three at the fifth, where he was home with two woods and holed from 20 feet, was just the encouragement he needed, but the par four, dog leg, seventh again proved an awkward proposition.

He had bogeyed it in the first round by failing to hit the green and chipping poorly. On his second visit he was twice in trees and took a six. Another stroke went astray at the 11th.