Brilliant Bob gives de Bromhead and Blackmore a Cheltenham double

It was quite the day for Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead as Bob Olinger completed a 152/1 double on the day as he won the third Grade One race of his career at The Festival today in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. The now 10-year-old has previously been successful in what is now the Turners Novices’ Hurdle (2021) and the Turners Novices’ Chase (2022).

It followed on from success in the first race of the day with Air Of Entitlement. 

The Robcour-owned gelding got the better of 7-4 Favourite Teahupoo, who is the same ownership, today to take the honours by a length and three quarters.

The successful trainer Henry de Bromhead said: "Rachael was brilliant on him. We’d said if you’re going to get beaten, get beaten for coming too late. We were lucky, Home By The Lee was very unlucky, we got the right side of that. She gave him a super ride. Delighted for the horse, he’s an incredible horse, he had such a reputation a few years ago, things didn’t work out as well as we thought, but to see him come back and do that is amazing. Delighted for everyone involved, especially David Roche, my assistant at home, who would take a bullet for this horse. He adores him.

“Rachael gave him such a ride, she was brilliant on him. She’s an incredible lady, delighted for her as well, and the Achesons (owners Robcour), who are tremendous supporters of us and the game.”

De Bromhead went on to say: “That was unbelievable. It was a super ride from Rachael and there has been a lot of amazing work from all the team at home.

"To get him back and have him like that is incredible. I’m delighted for everyone, and obviously Robcour as the Acheson family are great supporters of ours.

“Davy Roche, my assistant, would take a bullet for him as he adores him. He will be ecstatic. He said he worked really well the other day and he was delighted with him coming over.

“He is just a class horse. I suppose you have to look at his record as he is unbeaten here.

“I remember I was at a preview a few weeks ago, and I wouldn’t look at the betting, but I was like ‘Oh my God’ he is 66-1 and I just couldn’t believe it.

“If he was 20-1 then fair enough, but Home By The Lee, who had beaten him, was just much shorter. It is brilliant and I’m delighted.

“The last few years we have always had Honeysuckle to get off the mark on the Tuesday so it was feeling a little bit lonely. They have all been running well and I’m delighted.

“He is such a dude and he likes the attention and he deserves every bit he gets. He comes alive here and he obviously just loves it here.

“Even last year he was so good in the race on New Year’s Day. He won the Ballymore then we had a couple of funny old years with him, but he is back now.

“You always hope they can win another big one like this, but I never foresee anything. You live the dream and maintain them as best you possibly can.

“It is a big team effort. I can’t say enough about Davy Roche, who adores him. Robbie Power had him through the summer and he got him going, and then there is all our team at home the chiropractors, physios, vets you name it, everyone is involved in him.

“I always say it so hard to get a good horse so when you get one you want to try and maintain them for as long as you can and I really feel we try to do that.

“I was happy yesterday as they were all running well and these guys had similar chances to those yesterday, but we got the rub of the green today.

“Rachael is just so good. She is such a professional and works so hard. When she came back from her injury our horses were in a bad vein of form, but she just does what she does. She is class.”

 Rachael Blackmore, the winning rider, said: “I’m very lucky to get on these horses. He was brilliant. He has so much speed and was able to use it there today. We went a good gallop and he was still able to pick up off the back of it.

“We were all going out there… Everyone had the same plan from his team. It either works riding like that, or it doesn’t. When everyone is committed to it, it makes it easy.

“He’s unbeaten around here. I know one day it was a fortuitous win, but he’s got luck on his side around here. He’s a very, very good horse.” She went on to say: “We were very hopeful coming here, but for him to do it is just fantastic. He’s a phenomenal horse.

“Davey Roche, Henry’s head man and assistant, does an incredible job with him. He’s been involved with him since the day he arrived in the yard. It’s brilliant for everyone back in Knockeen - they all do an incredible job with the horses and it’s great to come home with this one now.

“He’s unbeaten here - one day it was a fortuitous win, but you need a bit of luck, too, and he gets it here. I could have easily run into the faller - we got lucky there - but you need that. It was a great ride everywhere and I had plenty of horse. Any time here getting to be on that podium is very special.”

As well as his two wins, de Bromhead also had the second and third in the Ryanair Chase with Heartwood, and the brilliant Envoi Allen.

“I’m delighted with both of them. Heart Wood ran a cracker and he is only a baby and he is coming along really nicely," said de Bromhead.

“It was a really good race, and they went a savage pace, and the winner is obviously very good.

“I think this is the right trip for Heart Wood as I’ve tried him over three miles a couple of times and he just wasn’t getting home, however he is only seven so we will see.

“Envoi Allen is just a legend and he was brilliant. Rachael (Blackmore) said he was really tough and that he really dug in up the hill to hold onto third. She was delighted with him and we all were as he is such a good horse.

“He is 11 now and those younger legs probably just have the edge on him, but he owes us nothing and he gives us so much fun. I thought he ran an absolute belter.

“Jungle Boogie made a couple of mistakes, but he was running well too for a while. He has got so much pace I might need to drop him back further.

“I wouldn’t be thinking I would be coming with many from here to Aintree, but we will see as nothing is set in stone yet.”