Last year's Coventry Stakes also-ran Kuwait Direction got off the mark for new owner/trainer James McAuley at Dundalk today, narrowly winning the opening Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Maiden.

The son of Kodiac showed useful two year old form when trained by Richard Hannon in England and was picked up for 8,000gns by McAuley last July.

Kuwait Direction went unclaimed for E12,000 when finishing sixth in a Claimer at today's venue on Wednesday and today, under Joey Sheridan, got off the mark at the ninth attempt when scoring a short-head win over Ola Bonita

McAuley later said “Sam Ewing rode him in the claimer the other day and thought stepping up to seven might suit him but we already had him declared for this so we said there was nothing to lose, that we'd be positive and see how he gets on.

“His mark was blown after finishing tenth in the Coventry last year, when only beaten a few lengths, and if he couldn't win a maiden he was never going to win a handicap. He just needed to find his level.

“He'll have options over five, six and maybe even seven. We'll keep him busy.

“He only cost £8,000 and we were actually told that we'd never keep him sound. We got a small job done on him when we got him back and touch wood he hasn't had a lame day.”

Quotes from Gary Carson