'I didn't fancy him' - 250-1 shock at Naas as trainer lands first winner under rules for more than a decade

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One of the longest-priced winners in Irish racing history prevailed at Naas on Monday when It's Bobsled Time obliged at 250-1.

Owned by the Cool Runnings Syndicate, It's Bobsled Time had shown little in his first two outings in academy hurdles at Cork, beaten 50 and 61 lengths at odds of 150-1 and 250-1 respectively.

However, he took a huge step forward in a similar race under Michael Kenneally, who held him up off the pace and made his challenge up the inside of the field on a longer than usual run-in with the two hurdles in the straight omitted due to low sun.

It was a first win under rules since the 2013-14 season for County Waterford-based trainer Richie Morrissey and is joint-third in the list of longest-priced winners in Irish racing history. He Knows No Fear (Leopardstown, August 2020) and Sawbuck (Punchestown, May 2022) hold the record at 300-1. All bar one of the 17 winners at 150-1 or bigger have come since the start of 2020.

The record in Britain is held by Equinoctial, who won at odds of 250-1 at Kelso in November 1990.

Morrissey, who has just three horses in training, was not present because his children were sick and off school.

He said: "I was gobsmacked. I was eating my dinner and I nearly choked. I was just hoping we would run today and get a nice mark. There are four lads involved in it and they're cursing me. But he only did one bit of work during the week because he had a dirty nose. I told them I didn't fancy him. I think one of them had a fiver on it, that was all." 

Ladbrokes' Nicola McGeady said: “Bobs up and down the country are celebrating Christmas early thanks to It’s Bobsled Time’s shock victory. It’s not often you get a 250-1 winner and we can only tip our hats to those who backed it.”

Fever downed

In another major shock, Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever lost her unbeaten tag when she was beaten at 1-4 on her hurdling debut.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old travelled strongly throughout the mares' maiden hurdle and jumped the last just a length behind Oldschool Outlaw but she was unable to bridge the gap and the winner held on by half a length under Jack Kennedy.

Paddy Power left Bambino Fever as 7-2 favourite for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and pushed her out to 20-1 (from 12) for the Supreme. The Gordon Elliott-trained Oldschool Outlaw was cut to 6-1 (from 33) for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

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