Evergreen McCullagh off the mark for the season In his 41st season as a licensed jockey, Niall McCullagh (56) got off the mark for the season when landing Gowran Park’s three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs on Survivor’s Code. The Nando Parrado filly raced in second on the approach to the straight and was ridden in pursuit of Monocle Rocket two furlongs out. McCullagh’s mount gradually wore down that rival, and led at the furlong pole, for a half-length success. The winner, backed from 18/1 into 12/1 before the off, had run respectably in a couple of nurseries for Emmet Mullins and had finished down the field on her first start for new connections at Navan (1m2f) last week. “Fair play to Shane Foley, as he recommended her to Breen (White, owner),” said winning trainer Conor Maxwell. “We gave her a bit of work in Dundalk before the end of the year and it wasn’t for her, so we put her away and waited for the grass. She loves that kind of ground. “Last week in Navan, she just didn’t stay so we dropped her back in trip and it was ideal. “She’s in at Bellewstown on Saturday and we might go again. We’ll see how she is. “She likes the ground and if it dries up too much, it won’t suit her.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
