Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EXHIBIT A
All the evidence points to a Toberona victory
CLASSY novice Latest Exhibition might be capable of defying top-weight in the €400,000 Boylesports Irish Grand National in Fairyhouse.
Trainer Paul Nolan and members of the Toberona Partnership thought long and hard about whether to run the eight-year-old in yesterday’s Grade 1 novice or have a tilt at today’s showpiece.
Although no horse has carried more than 11-4 to victory in this race since Flashing Steel in 1995, Latest Exhibition looks the class-act in the field, should have no problem with the extended trip and, helped by first-time cheekpieces, he looks set to run a huge race under Bryan Cooper.
The selection, a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler last season and narrowly denied by Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, has run only four times over fences – scoring at Punchestown in October with two of today’s rivals Opposites Attract and
Run Wild Fred close behind.
Outpointed by Pencilfulloflead in a heavy ground Grade 2 at the same track, Latest Exhibition has since bumped into the formidable Monkfish twice – failing by three lengths to the Closutton star in the Neville at Leopardstown over Christmas and by 11 lengths in the Flogas at the same track.
It’s very doubtful if any of today’s rivals would get close to Monkfish at levels. And that’s why Nolan’s charge must shoulder top-weight
– giving a maximum of
18lb to his rivals.
Dangers are numerous, among them a trio from Cullentra – Escaria Ten, a close third to Galvin in Cheltenham’s National Hunt Chase, plus Coko Beach and Run Wild Fred, winner and runner-up in the Thyestes on very different ground at Gowran Park in January.
Willie Mullins (inset) runs four with Paul Townend on board stable debutante Agusta Gold, winner of a graded mares event at this track for Mags Mullins – she reopposes runnerup Moyhenna – and Rachael Blackmore on Robin De Carlow, absent since beating two-mile champion Put The Kettle On in Tipperary in October 2019. The colours of J P Mcmanus will be worn by 20% of the 33, a team headed by the Robbie Burns-trained Off You Go tackling this sort of trip for the first time, Leinster National winner Scoir Mear and lone British-trained challenger Jerrysback. Scoir Mear’s trainer Tom Mullins also runs Porterstown winner Court Maid, who has a definite chance – although only 1lb off top-weight.
The Big Dog, with Jamie Codd riding at his minimum weight, comes into the race on the back of a win in the Trial at Punchestown while Joseph O’brien relies on Home By The Lee and Sempo, whose jumping is a concern.