Bacchanalian wins Naas' opener

Bacchanalian (7/2) gained a second success of 2025 today when making all to win Naas’ opening PSIL Property Maintenance Supporting Kill GAA Rated Hurdle, for trainer Declan Queally, jockey Sean O’Keeffe and owner Shane Wilson.

Today’s juvenile race has thrown up three Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle winners in recent years - through Band Of Outlaws (2019), Aramax (2020) and Brazil (2022), and today’s race enabled five horses to meet the three-hurdle-races qualifying standard for next month’s Cheltenham race.

In today’s race, Bacchanalian made all and while clear jumping the final flight, was all-out to hold the faster-finishing, most-experienced-runner Murcia which powered home but failed by a neck.

Winning jockey O’Keeffe reported “he settled away lovely in front, jumped really well and I was able to get a nice little breather into him. He picked up again in the straight and was doing enough to hold off the other horse near the finish.

“In fairness to Declan, he has him in great form after running last weekend and hopefully he can keep progressing.”

Paddy Power and Betfair cut Bacchanalian to 10/1 (from 16/1) for the Boodles Fred Winter Hurdle in March.

Quotes from Alan Magee