Champion trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Daryl Jacob put a Festival of frustrations behind them when Lac Fontana brought up a final-day first in the County Hurdle.
The five-year-old had gone up 12lb for winning at Cheltenham in January, but that could not stop him producing a winning run along the stands’ rail that carried him to victory by half a length from Arctic Fire.
Nicholls was quick to praise his jockey, and said: “Daryl has been a bit down, but all you need is a bit of luck – he’ll be a totally different guy now. I’m chuffed for him – he needed a winner. We’ve been unlucky but that’s just the way it is here. Little margins can go wrong and you don’t end up on the scoreboard, but we’re on it now and so we’re happy.
“I knew Lac Fontana would gallop all the way to the line, but the way things have been going I feared we would be beaten in a photo finish, but that was just what we wanted.
“Going up 12lb wasn’t ideal, but I felt he had a bit in hand the last time he ran and I was more worried about the ground and whether he would be outpaced. They went quick and he managed to stay with them and was really strong from the back of the last. I suspect he will run again at Aintree, and probably in a novices’ race – the handicapper will put him up for this so we’ll look at a novice, but I wouldn’t want to take on Vautour if we went to Punchestown. Really he wants a bit further.
“He finished eighth in last year’s Triumph Hurdle, but he finished the season a maiden and that was probably a good thing. Novices have a good record in this race.”
Nicholls retired Big Buck’s yesterday after the 11-year-old finished unplaced in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. The trainer said: “Things are all good. I could see after three or four hurdles yesterday that all was not well – he was a bit short and choppy which can happen when they’ve had leg trouble. I knew it was game over fairly early on.
“He’s been a legend. We’re going to carry on cantering away on him for now and then give him a summer off. Who knows, I might hunt him in future.”
