Latest Exhibition misses Cheltenham Festival

Latest Exhibition, runner-up in the Albert Bartlett at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, is likely to sidestep this year’s meeting in favour of an appearance at Fairyhouse.

Paul Nolan’s stable star was beaten just a neck into second place by Monkfish 12 months ago, but has found the Willie Mullins-trained gelding a very tough nut to crack in Grade One novice chases at Leopardstown on his last couple of starts.

The eight-year-old has the option of taking on Monkfish for a fourth time in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, while holding alternative engagements in the shorter Marsh Novices’ Chase and the longer National Hunt Chase.

However, Nolan is currently in favour of keeping Latest Exhibition at home.

He said: “That would be the thinking at the minute (missing Cheltenham).

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“He’ll have an entry in the Irish Grand National and an entry in the Ryanair Gold Cup in Fairyhouse.

“Things can happen and things can change, but unless something changes, that’s the plan – to go for one of the races at Fairyhouse.”

In Latest Exhibition’s absence, Nolan’s sole Cheltenham raider is likely to be Mrs Milner in the Pertemps Final.

The daughter of Flemensfirth was narrowly beaten in the Cotswolds earlier in the season, since when she has finished fourth in a Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown before falling in a mares’ handicap hurdle at the same venue last month.

“We’ll probably bring Mrs Milner for the Pertemps and that’s it,” Nolan added.

“She’s been fine since her fall. For a slight mare, she’s very tough and got over her fall very quickly – she’s certainly tough and so brave.

“We ran over a shorter trip the last day to keep her against her own sex, but I think she’s better over a trip.

“With just the one horse running I probably won’t travel myself, what with all the restrictions and everything.”

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