Bob Olinger had luck on his side when picked up his second Cheltenham Festival victory by landing the Grade 1 Turners Novice Chase to give former point-to-point rider Rachael Blackmore her 11th Festival success.
The odds-on favourite Galophin Des Champs had seemed to have the race sewn up coming to the final fence under Paul Townend, however he cruelly slithered to the ground on the landing side of the last to the cries of the packed enclosures.
That left Bob Olinger to come a wide-margin winner, some 40 lengths clear of Busselton with a further 28 lengths back to another pointer in El Barra.
The victory was a second in 12 months at The Festival for Pat Doyle’s former Turtulla maiden winner, having taken the Grade 1 Ballymore Novice Hurdle at last year’s Festival.
Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “We looked well beaten, obviously. I was surprised to see him off the bridle as early as he was. I thought he jumped reasonably well; he got into one at the top of the hill, I think the fourth-last, he just put down at that and walloped that, but was ok and came back on the bridle.
“We still have to work on the jumping. But I thought on the first circuit he jumped really well. But I didn’t think I’d ever see a horse have him look like that, I have ever to say. I never thought I’d see a horse do that to Bob. And obviously, we all want to win but we don’t like to win like that, but it’s great to win, of course. It’s all work in progress - it’s only his third race over fences, and he’s won a Grade Three, a Grade One… it’s fantastic, but you don’t like to win a race like that.
“It was disappointing [the way he ran]. But, interestingly, Rachael said she wasn’t happy with him at all, so we’re going to get him looked into, which we would have had to do anyway if Galopin Des Champs had stood up. We need to go and dig and see what is wrong with him, because he definitely didn’t look right.
“I’d feel silly saying anything about whether he might be a Gold Cup horse or a Ryanair Chase horse after that run now, so let’s see. We need to work out what has happened, but prior to today we’d always felt he was Ryanair, Gold Cup, whatever - we don’t really mind, but today has put me back in my box. It sounds terrible when we won, but there we gho.
“Fair play to Galopin, that was some performance he put in. You lose races like that as well; it just happens. It was ironic that it was our jumping that was questionable - but this game is just mental, isn’t it? Always expect the unexpected.”
Successful jockey Rachael Blackmore said:
“It is fantastic to win but nobody likes winning in those circumstances. It is brilliant to see Paul (Townend) and Galopin Des Champs are both okay and that is the main thing.
“I was happy with him throughout the race. He made one or two little errors but I thought on the whole he jumped well enough. There is definitely room for improvement there. His jumping is improving the whole time.
“To be honest four out I wasn’t delighted with him and I thought I would be travelling better. I don’t know if it was the true Bob Olinger today in some ways.
“Even when I galloped up the hill he didn’t do it in the fashion he did last year. I was never going to catch Paul if he stood up. It is strange emotions but it is unbelievable to get a winner. This is one of the best horses Henry has in his yard.
“I wouldn’t be too disheartened in the manner that he finished because I know that wasn’t the true Bob Olinger today for whatever reason but look he is a fair horse and we are very lucky to have him. It is beautiful jumping ground out there. I wouldn’t like to put that (ground) as an excuse as he is a very good horse and it was heavy at Punchestown the last day.
“I was beaten today before my speed was going to come into it. He might have jumped a bit better if the ground was quicker. In summary it is fantastic to get a win.”
