De Bromhead hails special Bob Olinger after dream farewell

“He was brilliant and Darragh was brilliant on him,” De Bromhead said.

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026 - 15:40

Darren Norris

“He read the script,” an elated Henry De Bromhead said as he reflected on Bob Olinger bringing down the curtain on a brilliant career in fitting fashion by winning the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown.

Ahead of the race, owner Brian Acheson revealed that this would be it for the remarkable 11-year-old and the three-time Cheltenham victor bowed out in style to give winning jockey Darragh O’Keeffe a 190-1 treble on the day to cut Jack Kennedy’s lead in the title race to three wins ahead of the final two days of the jumps season.

“He was brilliant and Darragh was brilliant on him,” De Bromhead said. “What a horse to have had. He’s just given us so many incredible days.” Asked about the turn of foot Bob Olinger, showed to surge past 5-4 favourite Teahupoo before holding off the fast-finishing Jimmy Du Seuil to win by three-quarters of a length, De Bromhead said: “He’s got a gear and he’s just a class horse, he’s pure class and he always has been.

“Davy Roche, my assistant, said he’s the best who has ever come through our place and that’s a big statement. Now he is probably a bit biased because he adores him, he’s like his second child, so I’m just delighted, delighted for everybody at home, the Achesons, and Darragh — what a day he’s had. He’s a class rider and he gave him a brilliant ride. For Bob to go out like that is what he deserves, it’s typical of him. He’s one of the best horses we’ve ever had.

“Brian rang me the other day to say that [retirement] is what he was planning to do and I just said ‘spot-on, perfect’. The fact Bob read the script as well is just massive.

“We’ve just been so lucky to be part of this story. Rachael [Blackmore] won the Stayers’ Hurdle, the year of covid when he won the Ballymore, what a ride she gave him. And then we lost him for a little bit but Ger Kelly in Fethard, in fairness to him, he found the issue and he came back to what he was before. This is one you savour. It’s just a really special day, you dream that they can end like that but plenty of times they don’t, so to see him go out like that is just phenomenal.”

Acheson said: “Owners should be seen and not heard so I’m not going to say too much but thanks to Pat Doyle for producing him, Neil O’Donnell who found him, and you [Henry] for ringing me. You can’t buy this. Memories are for funerals and we’re going to have some craic at my funeral.” O’Keeffe was similarly thrilled. “He’s a superstar of a horse,” the Cork jockey said. “He does it all so easy and travels really well. It’s great to be riding a horse like him.

“He’s been staying really well this year, so I was kind of just delaying my challenge but at the same time just stoking him away up, you know? But I could hear the commentator saying that Paul [Townend] was kind of coming as well [on Jimmy Du Seuil]. So I sort of had to let him go before the last but it’s absolutely brilliant.” The entire day was brilliant for the jockey, his treble sparked by the Ted Walsh-trained Adrienne winning the Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle.

Paying tribute to O’Keeffe, Walsh said: “He’s a great rider, he’s [probably] not going to be champion jockey, we’ll have a great champion in Jack, but this man is going to be champion some day and it’s nice to have him on board.”

When it was suggested selling her might be one of the options considered for Adrienne, Walsh had an emphatic reply. “We’ll keep her, at my age why would you be selling her? You couldn’t put a price on having a winner on a day like today here at Punchestown. A few quid is one thing but you have to enjoy life as well too. When you’re as far into it as I am you want to enjoy every day.”

Further praise for O’Keeffe flowed 45 minutes later as he partnered 7-2 shot Busselton to a repeat success in the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase.

Last year’s success came for Joseph O’Brien, for whom Busselton also won a Kerry National, but this one was for Enda Bolger who was quick to pay tribute to the horse’s former trainer as well as the winning jockey.

Bolger, who was winning the La Touche for a remarkable 15th time, said: “I thought the winning post would never come but what a great ride and he’s a lovely horse. Joseph and his team had everything done with this horse, we had to just school him and do little different things and he got some ride.”