Emotional O'Brien thanks Coley as Rhythm gets in tune

Fergal O'Brien will hope his career includes bigger and better prizes than the £35,000 Persian War Novices' Hurdle, but there was no escaping his delight after Poetic Rhythm found the right notes in the totepool-backed Grade 2.

The chief reason for O'Brien's ear-to-ear smile was that the six-year-old's success came in the colours of his great pal and supporter Chris Coley.

"That's amazing," said an emotional O'Brien, fresh from his best campaign last term and optimistic of another fine season with 60 horses to go to war with.