Bob Olinger made a winning return to action when he brushed aside a quality line-up to take the beginners chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.
A winner of two Grade 1 contests during his novice hurdle season last term, including in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in the spring, the Sholokhov gelding was unsurprisingly sent off as an odds-on favourite.
Racing to the fore throughout just behind the fellow point-to-point graduate Bacardys, Bob Olinger overcame a slight stumble on landing at the third-last fence to take control of the race soon after under Darragh O’Keeffe as he went on to defeat another dual Grade 1 winning hurdler in Bacardys by six and a half lengths.
Bob Olinger had been one of three Cheltenham Festival winners last March to have begun his career with Pat Doyle, an achievement for which it was recently announced had earned the Suir View Stables operator his nomination for the point-to-point award at the HRI Awards.
Bob Olinger is back! @GowranPark1 | @HenrydeBromhead | @BrianAcheson
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 21, 2021
Bravemansgame had been some 12 lengths in arrears of Bob Olinger in the aforementioned Ballymore Novice Hurdle, but Paul Nicholls’ charge also made a successful start to his chasing career on Saturday afternoon when taking a Graduation Chase at Haydock.
A four-year-old maiden winner at Lingstown for Donnchadh Doyle at the start of his career, Bravemansgame was also a Grade1-winning novice hurdle having taken the Challow Hurdle last Christmas at Newbury, and the odds-on favourite posted an excellent round of jumping on his chase debut.
Making all in the hands of Harry Cobden, the six-year-old had plenty up his sleeve as he went on to account for Itchy Feet by two and three quarter lengths in impressive fashion.
Bravemansgame - what a round at @haydockraces! @PFNicholls | @CobdenHarry | @johnedance pic.twitter.com/QWoqjeRJkm
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 20, 2021
Two years earlier, Lostintranslation had been winning the Grade 1 Betfair Chase with the three-mile chasing division seemingly at his feet, however he bounced right back to form following a spell in the doldrums when taking the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot on the same afternoon.
Making good progress in the home straight under Brendan Powell, Colin Tizzard’s charge hit the front before the last, from where he went on to defeat Master Tommytucker by four lengths.
The 160-rated Flemensfirth gelding had begun his career by finishing fourth in a four-year-old maiden for the late William Codd.
He’s back! Lostintranslation wins the Grade 2 @Chanelle_Pharma 1965 Chase at @Ascot for @brendanp1995 and @colintizzard! pic.twitter.com/oihBpxAKEG
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 20, 2021
