The Paul Nolan trained Latest Exhibition looks to be a definite runner in the Albert Bartlett even if the ground turns heavy ahead of the race and he looks to hold some very strong credentials.
The seven year old has gone from strength to strength this season over hurdles landing three out of his four contests to date seeing off some of the best novices of the year including Andy Dufresne, Fury Road and Longhouse Poet.
The only horse to beat him this season came when when he was tried at two miles which showed that he was a stayer and not a pace merchant and he was outclassed by the Gordon Elliott trained Abacadabras who is seeking for favouritism in the Supreme Novices Hurdle.
His win in the Grade One Novice Hurdle on at the Dublin Racing festival saw him tackle his furthest trip over two and three-quarter miles and proved to bring the best out of him and now a leading contender for the Albert Bartlett.
Paul Nolan rules out switching Latest Exhibition to Ballymore at Cheltenham >>> https://t.co/jcZu4GjpTF pic.twitter.com/MDvnzbZrp2
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 2, 2020
(Credit At The Races) Nolan said “I don’t know if he does handle proper heavy ground.
“There’s no doubt if he under-performed it might be an excuse, but I don’t think we’d switch to the Ballymore in any case.
“Looking at the way he races, I think three miles will be the making of him. It’s not that we are trying to avoid anyone – we want to run him over the trip we think he’ll be best at.”
Latest Exhibition this season has been found to be a staying horse
The trainer added: “He’s run over two, two and a half miles and two-six – and another step up wouldn’t inconvenience him. It would be a plus, rather than a minus.
“At Leopardstown it looked like he was going to win by half a length, but he went on and won by two lengths.
“So he put distance between himself and the others – and over three miles it would have been even further.
“I’d prefer to be taking a chance on softer ground than quicker ground, put it that way.”