Seán shows he wasn’t kidding
Cheltenham win no fluke
PAUL NOLAN’S bid for National glory in both Ireland and England ended in gallant defeat. His Latest Exhibition was favourite and did very well to finish fourth at Fairyhouse under a heavy burden, while Discorama ran his heart out at Aintree and finished a very respectable seventh of 40 runners.
The big Wexford winner on the day was Seán Flanagan on Jeff Kidder as they confirmed that their 80/1 win in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival was no fluke as they won the two-mile Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle by three lengths from 4/7 favourite, Teahupo, ridden by Robbie Power for Denise Foster.
Flanagan and Power were disputing it at the last but a slicker jump gave Jeff Kidder the advanatage and they kept on well to the line. ‘Jeff’ was just 5/1 this time.
Flanagan said: ‘He’s a very improving type. I’m delighted for him because a lot of people said the Fred Winter was a fluke. He stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line.’
Fairyhouse on Monday was Irish Grand National Day as is traditional for well over 150 years, and the Boylesports-sponsored €400,000 highlight nearly always throws up a few talking points and often a great story. This year was no exception with a 150/1 winner in Freewheelin Dylan for local Meath trainer Dermot McLoughlin, ridden by Ricky Doyle.
Wexford trainer Paul Nolan saddled the favourite, Latest Exhibition (9/2), bred by Nolan’s near neighbour Jim Mernagh who shares ownership with John Brennan, Dan Brown and Jim Coffey. He ran a great race under Bryan Cooper and a welter burden of 11st 10lbs to finish fourth, just five lengths off the winner.
Latest Exhibition was giving over a stone to the first three home and made a valiant effort, before finally being stretched in the closing stages. He picked up €20,000 for his run, which will be some measure of compensation for Nolan and his loyal owners.
Ricky Doyle, who works with Wexford’s Conor O’Dwyer in Kildare, was having his first ride in the National at 28 years of age and he made the most of it. Trainer McLoughlin lives just three miles from the course and his father, Liam, rode Kerforo to win it for Tom Dreaper in 1962.
Jordan Gainford was best of the Wexford riders in seventh on Denise Foster’s Coko Beach (16/1) after being very much in contention until running out of steam after the second-last fence. Seán O’Keeffe was ninth of the 28 runners on Court Maid (22/1) for Tom Mullins.
It was an historic occasion at Aintree on Saturday with the Rachael Blackmore-Henry De Bromhead dream season rolling on. Blackmore became the first female winner in over 180 years with a cool ride on Minella Times (11/1), burnishing her six winners and best rider award at Cheltenham last month. Second was stable mate Balko Des Flos at 100/1.
De Bromhead had the first two home and completed a remarkable grand slam having been the first trainer to win the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase at the one Cheltenham Festival. Ireland had 23 of the 28 winners at Cheltenham and their remarkable level of domination was repeated here - there were 15 finishers and ten of the first eleven were Irish-trained.
Nolan’s hopes rested with Discorama (16/1), three times placed at Cheltenham in recent years, and he finished a creditable seventh. He began to make progress after the twelfth fence and was in fourth place at the 22nd (Bechers second time), and stayed in contention for some time.
He was still fifth at the third-last fence but was running on empty by then and was struggling on the run-in and did well to hold on for seventh place.
The only Wexford rider to get around was Seán O’Keeffe who was ninth on Cabaret Queen (80/1) for Willie Mullins in his first outing in the race. Seán Flanagan pulled up at the second-last fence on Tout Est Permis (100/1), where Jamie Codd also called it a day on Milan Native (50/1) for Denise Foster.
Flanagan and Jodie McGarvey were riding in Wexford on Friday evening and Flanagan flew them both over to Liverpool in a small plane on Saturday morning. Flanagan has his private pilot’s licence and hopes to become a commercial pilot when his racing career ends.
Seán O’Keeffe also had five rides at Wexford on Friday evening and he probably made it to Liverpool by more conventional means!