O'Donoghue brings up 125/1 brace

Another 20/1 winner went in at the Curragh as Arcanears ground his rivals down in the six-furlong maiden.

Colm O'Donoghue was hard at work on board a furlong and a half out as his mount tried to get on terms with strong-travelling Hawaam (13/8f).

Michael Halford 's Arcanears kept finding, though, and tackled Hawaam in the final 100 yards before sticking to his task stoutly to score by a length and three parts.

Newcomer Excelling Spirit made eye-catching late headway to get up for second at 7/1, a head in front of Hawaam.

Colm O'Donoghue, who brought up a double on the card, added: "The conditions are obviously an unknown really when its that heavy. He ran a lovely race first time but still a little bit green in Navan.

"He felt very genuine and very forward going, tough and hardy.

"Yeah definitely (he will appreciate going up in trip). He got into a good rhythm to halfway but he's a horse that doesn't do anything very quickly so when i just asked him to go up through the gears slowly then he really got on top in the last furlong."

Michael Halford added: “Carol (Roper, owner) has had horses with us for a long time and has been a great patron of ours so I’m delighted to win a race for her and she bred him as well.

“They are a family that have done well for us over the years but they nearly all needed to be four before they won. He was only beaten six lengths in Navan and just got a bit tired.

“He’s laid-back and has a great attitude. They are all a sprinting family so six will be his trip with an ease in the ground. We’ll see what Garry (O’Gorman, handicapper) does with him now.”

O'Donoghue also won the opener on Dandys Ocean (5/1).

This was Arcanears' second run having finished eighth in Navan last month (a race where Hawaam came in third).

Additional reporting by Alan Magee