Trainer Paul Nolan has been unusually quiet in recent months but bounced back with a winner at Fairyhouse today when his Gala Dancer justified 10/11 favouritism in the Winter Festival 2010 Maiden Hurdle.

Gala Dancer, under Paul Carberry, moved to the front three out and two good jumps at the final two flights helped secure an eight lengths win over the staying on Moscow Storm which was untidy at the final two flights.

Afterwards a relieved Nolan quipped “I was looking at the table for the Trainers’ Championship on the paper the other day and we were so far down it I thought about giving up to sell bananas or something!”

He added “Paul (Carberry) said Gala Dancer was a bit run off his feet early on today and was going as fast as he could go. He’s a half brother to Cloone River and although he doesn’t have his pace, he should make a nice handicapper.”

Regarding stable star Joncol, Nolan said “we may run him in the two miles Fortria Chase at Navan before going for the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown. However he will only run in either place if the ground is soft.”