Class act Latest Exhibition bids to defy stats en route to Irish National glory

BoyleSports Irish Grand National Chase | 3m 5f 50y | RTV & RTE 2

Those who live and die by stats and trends will tell you that Latest Exhibition will have history against him as he attempts to carry top weight to victory.

In the 20 years since Commanche Court carried 11st 4lb to victory, 18 of the 19 winners have carried less than 11st.

The one exception was Our Duke, and crucially for fans of Latest Exhibition, the parallels between the two horses are there for all to see, not least that their respective ratings in this race are identical at 153.

Like most of this field, both horses were novices. They also brought solid novice chase form to the table and would have been considered genuine Graded-chase performers for the future.

Latest Exhibition has banged heads against Monkfish the last two times. Is there another horse in this field of who could get near, never mind get Monkfish off the bridle? Probably not.

Shouldering top weight to victory is no easy feat but Latest Exhibition is the class act in the race. If he is going to be contesting Grade 1s next season, which connections feel he will, he should be going close, if not winning this.

The race is packed with dangers and the Denise Foster-trained Escaria Ten, Coko Beach and Run Wild Fred rate as leading contenders.

If there is something of a dark horse in the race, it could be Barry Connell’s Espanito Bello, whose form ties in closely with Coko Beach. He has achieved enough without blowing his profile and could be in off an dangerous mark.

Denise Foster saddles the trio of Escaria Ten, Coko Beach and Run Wild Fred in the Irish Grand NationalCredit: Patrick McCann

The Big Dog looked good in winning the Irish Grand National Trial at Punchestown, but all his form is on heavy ground and he makes limited appeal with the ground drying by the day.

Remarkably, this race evaded the clutches of Willie Mullins until 2019 when the champion trainer sent out Burrows Saint to win.

Mullins’ five-strong team has been bolstered by the late acquisition of Agusta Gold, while Joseph O’Brien’s foursome – Mortal, Home By The Lee, Sempo and Top Moon – would need to be taken seriously.

This is a typically competitive renewal, arguably the best for some time. However, Latest Exhibition has the best form and should take some stopping, even if the stats tell you he has it all to do.

Nolan: ‘Cheekpieces should be a help to Latest Exhibition’

There was a certain amount of hokey cokey played in the build-up to this year’s Irish Grand National. First it was Tiger Roll who was in and then out.

Then Paul Nolan shook things all about by suggesting he would take the easier option of Sunday’s Grade 1 novice chase with Latest Exhibition before ruling his stable star back in at the declaration stage.

Paul Nolan: 'we've fitted him with first-time cheekpieces and we think they will help him'Credit: Patrick McCann

The race is all the better for Latest Exhibition being in it. He is the class act and Nolan is hoping that will tell.

He said: “We are happy with our decision to run here rather than in the Grade 1 on Sunday. Look, if he’s to reach the level we think he can, this will be his last chance of winning a big handicap like the Irish Grand National.”

Latest Exhibition will be fitted with cheekpieces for the first time so that his first try at a helter-skelter handicap doesn’t come as a shock, with the headgear designed to help him travel that bit better.

Nolan said: “We've fitted him with first-time cheekpieces and we think they will help him. There were a couple of different reasons why we decided to go for cheekpieces, but the main one is that he can race a bit behind the bridle and, first time in a big competitive handicap like this, we thought that they would help him.

"He will need luck in running and as long as he gets into any sort of a rhythm early he has a chance. Fairyhouse is quite a level track, so they won’t be hanging around, but we will leave all of that down to Bryan [Cooper] and please God they can get into a nice position and get jumping and travelling.”

Nolan will also be represented by Fitzhenry, and on his chances, he said: “I was delighted with Fitzhenry at Naas and he would have a chance of being in the shake-up if he can improve from that. He hadn’t been hitting the line at all this season, but we decided to ride him differently at Naas and he showed a bit more.

"Hopefully, he has a chance but, at the end of the day, as long as they both come back sound we will be happy.”

Liberty Counsel: was a fairytale winner of the race in 2013 for Dot Love and her then assistant Ciaran MurphyCredit: Caroline Norris

Murphy would love nothing more for lightning to strike twice

Cast your minds back to 2013 and the scenes of chaos Liberty Counsel sparked in the Fairyhouse winner’s enclosure after she sprang a 50-1 surprise in this race for Dot Love and Ciaran Murphy.

He may not have played an official role in that memorable triumph but there’s no doubting Love’s right-hand man had a huge input.

Murphy took over as the official licence holder at Charlestown Stud in County Westmeath at the beginning of the year and described returning to the scene of the yard’s greatest triumph with lively outsider Enjoy D’Allen as a dream.

He said: “Enjoy D’Allen has done everything we have asked of him and we are delighted with how he has improved all season. He has done all of his improving on heavy ground but there should be no reason why he won’t carry that over on this nicer ground as he’s a lovely-moving horse.

"The blinkers are something we have had up our sleeve for a while and we think it will bring out even more in him. He has worn a visor in the past but the blinkers should unlock a bit more in him. We think he's off a fair mark, so we’re hoping for the best.”

Murphy added: “To have one like him in my first season as the official licence holder is unbelievable. Obviously, Dot [Love] won the race in 2013 with Liberty Counsel and, for a small yard like ours, we couldn’t begin to think that we could win the race twice. But having said all of that, I think we have a fighting chance with this horse.”

What they say

Denise Foster, trainer of Escaria Ten, Coko Beach and Run Wild Fred
Everyone in the yard here has looked on Run Wild Fred as an Irish National horse for some time, so hopefully they're right! He's been kept for this since the Thyestes and looks to have a good chance. Coko Beach has progressed really nicely over fences and there are more good races in him, but the ground might just be an issue for him. Escaria Ten looks tailormade for a test like this. He ran a great race at Cheltenham and hopefully this is not coming too soon for him after that. He seems to be in very good form.

Barry Connell, trainer of Espanito Bello
This has been his target all year. We decided not to go to Cheltenham in favour of aiming him at the Irish Grand National. We ran him in the Ten Up Chase to make sure he got the trip and, on what was diabolical ground, I think he was probably an unlucky loser that day. I couldn’t have him in any better shape and he comes into this in super form. Obviously, you need a bit of luck, but I think he has a huge chance.

Peter Fahey, trainer of The Big Dog
He’s in great form at home and we couldn’t be happier with him. My only worry is the ground and I’m actually going to walk the track today [Sunday] just to make sure it’s okay for him. I’m sure it will be and as long as it’s safe he will run, but there’s no getting away from the fact he’s better on heavy. I thought he won the Irish Grand National Trial snug enough and it took nothing out of him. I think he’s off a fair mark and the race will suit him but, again, the only worry is the ground.

Joseph O'Brien: will be four-handed in the Irish Grand NationalCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Joseph O’Brien, trainer of Mortal, Home By The Lee, Sempo and Top Moon
Sempo was a bit unlucky in some of his early runs over fences. He got brought down one day and made a silly mistake another. He lacks a bit of experience, but he was a decent hurdler. Hopefully, he will run well, although he is inexperienced. This race has been the plan for Home By The Lee for a while. We hope he will get the trip, but you don't really know until you try. Mortal will love the better ground, but could be the wrong side of the handicap. Top Moon has just sneaked in but he lacks experience.

Noel Meade, trainer of Brace Yourself and Eurobot
I've been thinking about the Irish National all year for Brace Yourself and it's great that he has managed to scrape into it. We think he's in good form. It's probably not ideal for him not to have run for so long, but he got a bit of a knock when he was second here and it took us a long time to get him back right. But we've been able to do a nice bit with him and he went around Navan last week. We were very happy with him. Eurobot will like the better ground and seems to be in good form.

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