Cooper and Nolan team up to down Andy Dufresne in Navan feature

Latest Exhibition provided Gold Cup-winning jockey Bryan Cooper with his first Graded winner in over two years as Andy Dufresne was unable to get himself out of jail and lost his unbeaten record.

Cooper, who won the race back in 2016 on Death Duty when Gigginstown's number one, has 34 Grade 1 victories on his CV between 2012 and 2017 and the 27-year-old hopes being associated with a horse of the calibre of Latest Exhibition can reignite his career.

"I haven't been riding many horses like him in the last year, but hopefully he can help bring some more my way," said a smiling Cooper after his win on the 9-2 shot.

The winning jockey added: "I think I won this on Death Duty a few years ago. I almost forget what it's like to win these sort of races.

"He's a good sort. We went at it early because I knew he would stay well. I nearly fell down the back straight, he was lucky."

Members can watch the race replay here

Latest Exhibition may have been lucky to survive that error at the sixth hurdle, but he made his own luck up the home straight and powered past Andy Dufresne on the uphill climb to the line to earn himself a quote of 16-1 with most firms for the Albert Bartlett.

"Stamina is definitely his forte and that’s the way he’s bred as well. I thought the last day it turned into a bit of a sprint and it didn’t suit him," said winning trainer, Paul Nolan.

He added: "He’s gutsy and hopefully he’ll kick on now. We'll make a plan for him now and maybe the Grade 1 at Leopardstown in February over 2m6f might be pencilled into the diary. The Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham will hopefully be the long-term plan for him. He stays well."

Previous winners of this Grade 2, which was a Grade 1 until 2014, included Death Duty (2016), Bellshill (2015), No More Heroes (2014), Briar Hill (2013), Pont Alexandre (2012), Boston Bob (2011) and Oscars Well (2010).

Andy Dufresne was expected to add his name to that illustrious roll of honour, but he failed to live up to his pre-race billing and Gordon Elliott did not think it was his true running.

He said: "I was a bit disappointed. He was beaten by a good horse but the third [Conflated] was coming too fast at him for it to have been his true running. He lugged left from the second-last to the line as well. He has no excuses, though, and Paul's is a very nice horse.

"We will get him checked out and all that. He seems 100 per cent. We haven't lost any faith in him, he's still a good horse."

Having started the day at single figures for the Ballymore, Andy Dufresne ended it as big as 16-1 for the opening race on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.

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