Bob Olinger supplied Punchestown with a perfect swansong to a superb career when landing an emotional success in Thursday’s festival feature.
Owner Brian Acheson announced minutes before the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle that it would be Bob Olinger’s final test of a 22-race career and the horse that has always seemed to attract the spotlight nailed his cue with aplomb.
Acheson’s other Stayers stalwart Teahupoo started a 5-4 favourite and looked in pole position turning into the straight as he pursued a hat-trick of wins in the race.
But Darragh O’Keeffe rousted a final effort from Bob Olinger that got him to the front at the last and he had enough in reserve to repel Jimmy Du Seuil by three parts of a length.
READ MORE
It was a fifth and final Grade One for the 11-year-old who was briefly racing’s “next big thing” after a sensational victory at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.
If he never quite delivered on such stratospheric expectations – with muscular problems at least partly responsible – he still won twice more at the Cheltenham Festival including in the Stayers there last year under Rachael Blackmore.
Her retirement saw O’Keeffe take over this season and although only third to Home By The Lee at Cheltenham six weeks ago, “Bob” wound up firmly centre stage here.
Acheson was obviously choked up by the occasion, having said before the race: “He’s my third child and I want him at home with me.” The Robcour owner’s decision was heartily endorsed by Henry De Bromhead.
The dangers of presuming anything in such a hazardous sport were underlined for the trainer just six weeks previously when Envoi Allen’s final race in the Cheltenham Gold Cup ended with him collapsing and dying in the aftermath. Another former Stayers champion, Sire Du Berlais, suffered fatal injuries on his final start in the Punchestown highlight two years ago.
“He read the script thankfully; he was brilliant and Darragh was brilliant on him. What a horse to have had,” De Bromhead said. “For him to go out like that is what he deserves, it’s typical of him. We’ve had some amazing years with him. Brian rang me the other day to say that’s what he was planning to do and I just said, ‘spot on, perfect’”.
Bob Olinger completed a hat-trick on the day for O’Keeffe which closed the gap on Jack Kennedy in the jockeys’ title race to just three (102-99). One shy of a first century of winners, the Cork jockey has seven booked rides on the final two days of the campaign.
There was even a Bob Olinger link to O’Keeffe’s La Touche winner Busselton. He was a distant runner up to the retired star at Cheltenham 2022 in a race most remembered for Galopin Des Champs’ final fence fall.
On just his third start since joining Enda Bolger from Joseph O’Brien, Bussleton repeated his 2025 success in Ireland’s longest race, gamely holding off Outside The Door and The Goffer in an exciting finish.
It was Bolger’s 15th La Touche success and O’Keeffe, who also won on Adrienne, said: “Delighted to ride a winner for Enda. He’s been massive in my career. I started out with him and he’s an absolute genius with these horses. Enda said to me a while ago this lad would win the La Touche.”
Willie Mullins landed the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase for a remarkable 11th year in a row, although it was with second-string Salvator Mundi rather than the hotpot Kopek Des Bordes.
The 4-11 favourite had taken over the lead approaching the second last fence but lunged at the obstacle and crashed out. It left Irish Panther briefly back in front only for Harry Cobden to pounce and ultimately win snugly.
It was Cobden’s first Grade One success in Ireland ahead of taking up the coveted role as JP McManus’s top rider.
“He was there to pick up the pieces, and who knows, he might have played a part anyway,” said Mullins whose initial reaction was that ‘Kopek’ had lost concentration and simply forgot to get his landing gear out. Mullins also won the opener with the 28/1 shot Beauvallon.
Jockey Donagh Meyler had his own 34-1 double through Blue Mosque and Come Walk With Me.
Thursday’s attendance of 19,548 was down from last year’s 20,228.
