Bob Olinger and Darragh O'Keeffe© Photo Healy Racing
Last season's Ballymore Novices Hurdle winner Bob Olinger reappeared today, winning Gowran's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase on chase debut for trainer Henry De Bromhead and jockey Darragh O'Keeffe.
The six year old son of Sholokhov was an impressive Cheltenham festival winner in March and bypassed the following month's Punchestown festival, when reported to be coughing.
Bob Olinger missed another Punchestown engagement last Saturday, when reported to have a stone bruise, and today reappeared on chase debut as 1/3 favourite in an 18-runner field.
Bob Olinger's jumping was good but having moved past early leader Bacardys before the home straight, nodded on landing at the third last fence and was awkward at the last. Bob Olinger eventually won comfortably and by six and a half lengths from runner-up Bacardys.
De Bromhead is at Haydock overseeing his Gold Cup runner-up A Plus Tard, under Rachael Blackmore, in the Betfair Chase and afterwards O'Keeffe reported “it was some experience.
“He jumped brilliant, travelled great and it's as good a feeling as I've ever got on the racetrack. It was unreal. He has a serious engine and it was just a privilege to get the ride on him.”
“If you want to be critical of him I suppose you could say that but it's his first run over fences and these take plenty of jumping but overall I thought his jumping was very good and he'll come on plenty from today as well.
“He has the scope and he won a point-to-point for Pat Doyle. Today was just about getting around, we know he has the engine.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
