Bacchanel one to avoid after another short-priced defeat

The giant Bacchanel has bags of ability, but seems to find winning impossible and, not for the first time, he caught out the money-buyers in the 3m novice handicap chase at Exeter.

The well backed 9-4 favourite had made most of the running and looked highly likely to shed his maiden tag at the tenth time of asking when approaching the last six lengths clear, but he slowed dramatically afterwards and was caught just before the line by Zerachiel.

The latter, not unbacked at 13-2, was never travelling that well and was pushed along at an early stage, but Tom O’Brien kept at him and the pair defied in-running odds of 330 on Betfair.