Latest Exhibition (left) and Andy Dufresne do battle© Photo Healy Racing
Latest Exhibition lowered the colours of Andy Dufresne with a strong staying performance in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle this afternoon.
Andy Dufresne, unbeaten coming into the race and a £330,000 point-to-point recruit, went to post a 1/3 shot in the two-and-a-half mile contest having impressed on his hurdling debut at the course last month.
Gordon Elliott 's charge made the running, under Mark Walsh, but was joined by Latest Exhibition turning for home.
Paul Nolan 's charge had done well to stand up after a mistake in the back straight but his jumping was better when it mattered.
Andy Dufresne stepped at the third last as Latest Exhibition was driven along to get on terms.
There was nothing between the pair over the penultimate flight and the distress signals soon started to go out on the hotpot.
Latest Exhibition gained a narrow advantage over the last and kept on gamely for Bryan Cooper on the run-in to record a two-and-a-quarter length win.
The 9/2 winner had chased home Abacadabras over two miles at the track last month and his trainer said:-
“Brian said he nearly went down the back straight when he left his legs in a hurdle. It’s nice to be able to recover from that mistake and they went at it plenty early.
“He went up alongside turning in and stayed on well. Stamina is definitely his forte and that’s the way he’s bred as well.
“The plan going out was to keep it simple. We were hoping that one of them would make it and we’d just track him. I thought the last day it turned into a bit of a sprint and it didn’t suit him.
“He’s gutsy and hopefully he’ll kick on now. The Lawlors in Naas is probably coming a bit soon now and maybe he could go for the 2m6f Grade 1 at Leopardstown.
“We probably ran him a bit quick the last day and it doesn’t work out. We’ll make a plan for him now with the aim being Cheltenham. The Albert Bartlett could be the long term aim.
“He probably learned a good bit from the last day as well. Rachael said he was quite babyish and didn’t know how to race.
“It’s great for myself and Brian. He’s a multiple Grade One winning rider but we all need ammunition. Everyone is in the same situation.”
Paddy Power introduced the winner at 16/1 for the Albert Bartlett and 20/1 for the Ballymore.
Gordon Elliott felt afterwards that Andy Dufresne hadn't run up to scratch.
He told Racing TV:- “I was a bit disappointed to be honest. He's been beaten by a good horse but for me the third horse (stable-mate Conflated was coming too fast at him at the line for him to have run his race.
“He lugged left from the second last to the line.
“There is no excuse and the best horse won on the day. Paul's is a very good horse and I'm not taking away from him but for me the third horse was too close at the line for that to be my run.
“We will get him checked out, at the moment he's sound and all and that way he's 100 percent but we'll just have to see.
“We haven't lost faith in him, he's still a good horse, but they are animals and it's a sport — they get beat.”
(Quotes by Alan Magee)
