Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors ‘€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff’ Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

THE opening race of the weekend delivered the fairytale result that many hoped for as Latest Exhibition propelled Paul Nolan and Bryan Cooper back to the big time with a display that exemplified this gelding’s many admirable qualities.

Both Nolan and Cooper have endured some fallow times of late and the trainer hadn’t struck Grade 1 gold in just over six years.

However, a defeat of Andy Dufresne at Navan in mid-December suggested that this strapping seven-year-old could be the horse to propel his connections back to the forefront of National Hunt racing.

In another step up the ladder for Latest Exhibition, the Oscar gelding was not found wanting and he received quite the reception uon his return to the enclosure. There was a strong chance that Latest Exhibition would have been sold after his Navan heroics but a consortium of the trainer’s owners, which included the gelding’s breeder Jim Mernagh, pulled together to keep him with Nolan. That faith was amply rewarded with this Grade 1 triumph.

By the time the eight runners turned for home in this two-and-three-quarter-mile-race nothing was on the bridle and the outcome at this stage rested between Cobbler’s Way, Longhouse Poet and the Cooper-ridden Latest Exhibition (7/2). The winner perhaps wasn’t at his most fluent at the last flight but this mattered little as he powered home on the run-in to pull off a hugely popular two-length triumph over Cobbler’s Way.

“I’m delighted for Bryan. Day in, day out he’s a Grade 1 jockey and I’m so happy for him. For the lads at home this is great and I’m thrilled for the owners too,” commented an elated Nolan. “Only for the lads that came together I wouldn’t have this horse and I suppose given that they had all pulled together there was a certain pressure today, but he’s a very good horse and he showed it there.”

“He’s not a horse who is ever going to win by 10 lengths but he’s not slow, he has a good cruising speed and he showed there that he will go on any ground. Now he’s won we can talk about the future and Cheltenham. The Albert Bartlett would look the obvious race but I’ll speak to Bryan and the owners and we will run him in the race that is the right race for the horse.”