Arriana (navy) is driven out by Niall McCullagh in the closing stages© Photo Healy Racing
After finishing third in the previous contest with Fix It Johnny Murtagh, Niall McCullagh and owner/breeder Jude Doherty went two places better in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden scoring with 4/1 chance Arriana
This daughter of Big Bad Bob, who is a half-sister to Fix It, finished fourth on her first two outings and she was just three and a quarter lengths behind Itorio at Leopardstown on her last start.
Dropped back to five furlong this evening she raced prominently on the outer.
She came under pressure a furlong and a half from home and got to the front just inside the furlong pole, staying on well from there to score by a length and a quarter at the line. Spirit Of Wedza went off the 3/1 favourite and he finished second under Wayne Lordan for David Wachman while Blackbriar was a further length and three parts back in third under Keith Moriarty for Tommy Stack.
Newcomer Some Character was backed from 20/1 this morning into 6/1 at the off but he could only manage a disappointing seventh under Ross Coakley for Matty Tynan.
Niall McCullagh said afterwards: "When I saw the draw I was disappointed but she showed so much pace in her previous races that I thought I would get a toe into the race.
"She got there too soon at the elbow and idled.
"I came in after her last run and I said to Johnny to drop her back to a Bellewstown five. She’ll go the Nursery route now."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
