Newbury and Navan options for Discorama

Nolan satisfied with seasonal bow.

The Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and the Troytown Chase at Navan are the two big-race options under consideration for Discorama following his pleasing reappearance at Wexford.

The six-year-old has finished second at the Cheltenham Festival in each of the past two seasons – going down by just half a length to Le Breuil on his latest visit to Prestbury Park for the National Hunt Chase in March.

Having rounded off his campaign with a runner-up finish behind the multiple Grade One winner Delta Work at the Punchestown Festival, Paul Nolan’s charge made his seasonal debut in a Listed chase on Monday.

While favourite backers did not collect, Discorama was far from disgraced in finishing a clear second behind Gordon Elliott’s race-fit recent winner Champagne Classic – a former Grade One and Cheltenham Festival hero.

Nolan said: “I was a very happy with the run. A decent horse beat him, and we were giving him 5lb. He’d also had a run, which definitely helped him, and our fellow was just a bit short of gas at the end of the race.

“It was only his sixth run over fences, and I hope he’ll have learnt a lot from that.

“He’ll get an entry in the Ladbrokes Trophy in Newbury and the Troytown in Navan, and I hope we’ll go for one or the other.

“The more it rains, the better it will be for him.”

Another horse for whom Nolan holds high hopes is Latest Exhibition.

The six-year-old was pencilled in for the Champion Bumper in March following an impressive display at Naas in late January, but was forced to miss Cheltenham because of a foot infection and was subsequently roughed off for the season.

He made a winning start to his hurdling career at Galway last Saturday and could step up in class for the Grade Three For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday week.

“He won nicely the other day, and we might give him an entry in the For Auction,” Nolan added.

“He’s a nice horse, and I’m looking forward to stepping him up in trip at some stage too.”

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