Cooper, Kennedy and Enright in winners’ enclosure

BRYAN Cooper landed a big winner when partnering Latest Exhibition to get the better of a long odds-on favourite in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle at the county Meath venue on Sunday. Trained by Paul Nolan, the 9/2 chance came with his challenge before the second last hurdle and headed 1/3 shot Andy Dufresne running away from the last to win by two and a quarter-lengths.

“Bryan said that 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. He went up alongside turning in and stayed on well. Stamina is his forte and that’s the way he’s bred as well,” Nolan said.

“He’s gutsy and hopefully he’ll kick on now. The Lawlor’s Novice Hurdle in Naas is probably coming a bit soon now and maybe he could go for the 2m6f Grade 1 at Leopardstown in early February. We’ll make a plan for him now with the aim being Cheltenham. The Albert Bartlett could be the longterm aim.”

Meanwhile, Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott were also in the winners’ enclosure at Navan as Run Wild Fred beat Noel Meade’s Joshua Webb to the line in the 2m4f maiden hurdle on Sunday. The 11/4 shot led from the second last hurdle and held off the late flourish of the Meade runner to score by half a length.

Kennedy and Elliott enjoyed a rare 25/1 winner the previous Tuesday when taking the 2m5f maiden hurdle with Ferocious at Tramore. Relishing the testing conditions, the five-year-old led early on the run in to score a one and a quarter length success from the Willie Mullins-trained 1/4 favourite Five O’Clock. The pair landed another double-figure winner when 10/1 shot Three Is Company took the beginners’ chase.

The five-year-old was left clear by the fall of Shakeytry at the second last fence and came home seven and a half lengths to the good over the Gavin Cromwell-trained Tokyo Getaway.

At the same meeting Tralee jockey Phillip Enright had an easy time of it on the Eoghan O’Grady-trained Mick The Jiver in the 3m handicap chase.

Sent off a 14/1 chance, the nineyear-old never gave his connections a moments worry as he eased to a three and a quarter length success over Wonderoftheworld.