Hairy Molly (right) - workmanlike success.

molly heading for festival

By PA Sport Staff

Hairy Molly booked his ticket for a return visit to the Cheltenham Festival with a workmanlike success in the Barrettstown Maiden Hurdle at Naas.

Last year's Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero was getting off the mark over timber at the second time of asking in the two-mile-three-furlong contest, although Barry Geraghty had to give him one or two reminders before he asserted by three lengths from 50-1 chance Knowledge Box.

Winning trainer Joe Crowley said of the 8-13 chance: "He didn't jump as well as you'd like early on, but they were probably going too slow. You couldn't judge anything on that (testing) ground.

"The owners are anxious to go to Cheltenham. He's entered in the Ballymore Properties and the Brit Insurance and it's more than likely he'll go for the Brit Insurance, but we'll have to talk it over."