Nouvel Espoir defies top-weight to win again at the Curragh Nouvel Espoir made light of top-weight to win the Autumn Racing With 1xBet.ie Handicap for trainer Jimmy Barcoe and Colin Keane at the Curragh this afternoon. A winner over the same course and distance earlier this month, the six-year-old was winning for the third time this season and the sixth time in all. The 6/1 chance led in the centre of the course with over a furlong to race and he was well on top in beating two more locally-trained horses, Danny McLoughlin’s recent Navan scorer and 5/1 favourite Lilli's Angel, and Johnny Murtagh’s 20/1 shot Nakamura, by two lengths and two and a half lengths respectively. “It was brilliant. He ran a nice race the last day in a higher grade so coming back to that grade with Colin Keane on his back, we were looking forward to it,” said Barcoe. “The horse has been brilliant for us; we really appreciate what he has done and we’re very lucky to have him. “As the years have gone on he’s gotten better and better. Obviously, he was off a career high today and it’s brilliant. “He has a great constitution because from the start of the year until now he’s done nothing but improve. He has a great temperament. “I’d say that’s probably him finished for the year now.”
