Bob Olinger even-money for more Cheltenham glory after brilliant Grade 3 success
Bob Olinger, one of the most exciting jumps horses in training, stretched his unbeaten record over fences to two with an impressive victory over Capodanno in the Grade 3 Kildare Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Last season’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner was a little sticky at one or two fences on his chase debut at Gowran Park but there was nothing to fault on this occasion as he was reunited with Rachael Blackmore.
The only disappointment was the three fences down the back straight being omitted due to the sun but that could not upset Bob Olinger, who settled beautifully for Blackmore in the early stages as Lifetime Ambition and Capodanno cut out the early running.
The race came alive at the third-last as Capodanno, highly thought of by trainer Willie Mullins, took an outright lead and stretched on running to the second-last. Blackmore was alive to the move and sent Bob Olinger scampering after the leader.
A good jump at the second-last put Bob Olinger alongside the leader and he again showed the extra gear that propelled him to Cheltenham Festival success in March running down to the last.
He was clever rather than spectacular at the final fence before coming home four and three-quarter lengths clear of the runner-up, with a whopping 27 lengths back to Grade 1 winner Gaillard Du Mesnil in third.
2.20 Punchestown result and replay
The winner is now the even-money favourite (from 6-4) for the 2m4f Turners Novices’ Chase (formerly the Marsh and the JLT) at the Cheltenham Festival, which would appear the logical race for Bob Olinger come March, although winning trainer Henry de Bromhead suggested he would also get an entry in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over 3m.
“There was a lot of stomach churning there but I was delighted with his jumping and really happy with how happy Rachael was with him as well,” said the trainer. “He seems to just have another gear again and he was good.
“He jumped fine at Gowran. You could argue he didn’t take to it like a duck to water but we’ve done a lot of schooling – a lot more than we usually would with him – and he’s really taken to it well. Rachael has done a fantastic job with him at home and the other day after we schooled we said: ‘Yes, that’s it.’ It was nice to see him step forward from Gowran.”
Bob Olinger holds an entry in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown on February 6 but De Bromhead will bide his time before making a firm decision whether to run there or not.
“He was probably going there before today but now you might have to think twice about it,” he said. “We’ll see how it unfolds and we’d want a good ease in the ground if he were to go. It’s three weeks and then another five weeks or so [to Cheltenham]. That’s what we were doing but the way he jumped there today we’ll see. Nothing is set in stone.”
fonte RacingPost
