He may have been onto attempt number fifteen to shed his maiden tag but some retained faith in Nidian (15/2 in a place this morning into 11/2) and those that stayed loyal to the four-year-old son of Indian Ridge were rewarded when Shane Foley's mount narrowly defeated Expire in the Navan Golf Course Maiden.

Michael Halford 's charge, an own brother to the Prix de l'Abbaye hero from 2000, Namid (now standing in France), Nidian got to the front in the final hundred yards and he held off the rallying Expire by a head with well-backed odds-on favourite Brazilian Breeze having every chance back in third.

Halford commented afterwards: "Sometimes the handicap experience stands to them. The race worked out well and he was not winning out of turn.

"He's in at Down Royal on Saturday but if that comes a bit quick he'll likely go to the Curragh the following weekend. He's in the sales at Newmarket in July."