#Bob Olinger

Tuesday: Champion Novice Chase, Punchestown There was a feeling of deja vu about the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase as Bob Olinger, just like stablemate Envoi Allen a year earlier, failed to fire and was pulled up in a Grade 1 dominated by Capodanno, who trainer Willie Mullins labelled a potential "Gold Cup horse". With Henry de…

Energumene: is entered into the Clarence House at Ascot on Saturday The week kicks off with two seven-race cards at Fontwell and Hereford. At the former, the Chris Gordon-trained Coolvalla is attempting to complete a four-timer in the £20000 3m2f handicap chase (2.30). Three runners go to post in Hereford's feature race, the 3m1f novice handicap…

Only once since 2010 has the Cheltenham Festival top trainer title been won by a British handler. Proof, as if needed, that the best horses are in Ireland was there for all to see last year. Willie Mullins heads Cheltenham top trainer odds once again with the bookies with what looks a top Festival team. These are our five best betting sites for…

7 February 2022 By Roger Kennedy [email protected] Starting on Tuesday, 15 March and continuing till Friday, 18 March, the Cheltenham Festival is almost upon us. If you want to get your ante post bets in, now is likely the best time to start picking your horses for each race. Of course, you will need some information on the favourites to win major…

Newsboy has napped Dan Skelton's Protektorat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham races. The horse is part-owned by Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson PROTEKTORAT is fancied to make light of top weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.15) at Cheltenham this afternoon. Jumps fans are in for a treat as the two-and-a-half-mile test, viewed…

By Andrew Asquith, Saturday 14 January 2023 Posted in: Cheltenham Festival Tips Andrew Asquith looks ahead to the 2023 Stayers' Hurdle and picks out his best ante-post bet. At this stage the Stayers' Hurdle looks wide open and that is reflected by the betting with most firms going 5/1 the field. The obvious place to start is with one of the…

There are some surprising names still left in the 28 entries for the Stayers' Hurdle, particularly the name of star 2 mile chasing veteran Chacun Pour Soi for Willie Mullins. The master of Closutton is not averse to making multiple entries for the Festival, and has also thrown in last season's Ballymore hero Sir Gerhard. The betting is wide open…

A punter saw their £40000 bet go up in smoke when Galopin Des Champs fell at the last fence when well clear of the field in the opening race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. The Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs - the 5/6 fav - had pulled well clear with a tenacious jumping display until the final jump, over jumped at that point and…

There is nothing more guaranteed to make you look foolish than making sports predictions over the long term. Just ask all the experts and pundits who assured us that Brazil would win the World Cup for evidence on that one. There is nothing more guaranteed to make you look foolish than making sports predictions over the long term. Just ask all the…

The Churchill gelding was a neck superior to Dixon Cove in the Grade Two event at Chepstow over Christmas. The JP McManus-owned four-year-old had previously finished third at Fairyhouse to Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth, who subsequently franked that form by winning a Grade Two at Leopardstown on Boxing Day. The Owning Hill handler is keen to…

Nicky Henderson believes Epatante must be treated as "still a possible runner" in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle - despite her not featuring among the initial entries for the Cheltenham Festival contest. The winner of the Unibet Champion Hurdle in 2020 before placing behind Honeysuckle the following two years, Epatante has been given the option…

Newcastle's Flat card features a conditions race over a mile and a quarter with some smart older performers entered up. They include the John & Thady Gosden pair Harrovian and Forest of Dean who finished third and fifth respectively in a listed race at Lingfield in November which has thrown up some winners since. This looks a bit less competitive,…

THE latest Cheltenham Festival entries have been revealed - and there are some early shocks. Racing's biggest meeting gets underway nine weeks today and several of the fields are starting to take shape. But there were eyebrows raised on Tuesday when it was revealed JP McManus' Epatante had not been entered in the Mares' Hurdle. The Nicky…

MONSTER hurdler Constitution Hill is already on track to beat a Cheltenham Festival record - nine weeks before it begins. Nicky Henderson's superstar two miler is 1-4 to win the Champion Hurdle on the first day of the Festival. Nothing has got within 12 lengths of Constitution Hill in his five runs under rules. And his 17-length demolition job of…

The week just gone over jumps was a welcome pause after the unrelenting Christmas and New Year action, but it has nevertheless thrown up several Festival clues in the last few years. The feature event at Sandown, the Unibet Tolworth Hurdle, has gone to subsequent Sky Bet Supreme winners Constitution Hill and Summerville Boy in recent seasons, while…

By Andrew Asquith, Friday 06 January 2023 Posted in: Cheltenham Festival Tips Andrew Asquith looks ahead to the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup and picks out his best ante-post bet. A quick glance at the ante-post betting market for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup shows what a cracking renewal this year's race could be with the first seven or eight in the…

The last seven favourites have been successful in this Grade 1, including Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger who went on to win the Ballymore, and Grangeclare West will be the one trying to continue that sequence. Willie Mullins has won this race eight times and had the option of running Boodles runner-up Gaelic Warrior, who won at Tramore by 86 lengths…

The treats are going to come thick and fast for racing fans over the Christmas week. They include Leopardstown's four-day Christmas Festival, which begins on St Stephen's Day (December 26). This is a superb meeting with a wide array of Graded contests, competitive handicaps and informative bumpers for punters to enjoy. Danny Archer looks ahead to…

Gordon Elliott smashed the bookies with a massive priced four timer - Party Central (9/4), Mighty Potter (20/1), Felix Desjy (11/1) and Absolute Notions (25/1) all going in on the opening day for the Cullentra trainer. Energumene was one of the few Cheltenham Festival winners to stand up the form when he fended off Chacun Pour Soi in the Champion…

Picking up from my last column to cover the remainder of the holiday program (December 28 to January 1) in what was the busiest post-Boxing Day period for some time, the narrative seemed to me more of the same - some horses enhanced their reputations, a bigger number diminished theirs, and a standout performance to breathe new life into some…

Willie Mullins has farmed the New Year's Day feature in winning eight of the last 10 runnings, but Minella Indo's battling display in the hands of Rachael Blackmore ended the Closutton handler's five-year stranglehold on the Grade Three contest and gave Henry de Bromhead his second win in the race after Champagne West's success in 2017. Winner of…

Emerging forces and established stars of the Irish National Hunt scene are set to come out and play at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. The four-day racing bonanza takes place between Monday, December 26 and Thursday, December 29 and it is set to offer plenty of clues ahead of the big spring meetings. We're sponsoring all seven races on the…

Ruby Walsh has offered his expert insight into the upcoming Cheltenham Festival with the legendary jockey expecting another thrilling week of action in England. Walsh is no stranger to Cheltenham having been the leading jockey 11 times at the Festival, nabbing 59 winners and twice racing to Gold Cup glory. And previewing the races, Walsh is backing…

Conflated put himself firmly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture with a dominant success in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase before pushing…

Home By The Lee proved his surprise victory at Navan last month was no fluke with a battling success in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. Joseph O'Brien's charge was a widely unconsidered 28-1 shot for the Grade Two Lismullen Hurdle in mid-November, but knuckled down to see off the strong-travelling Bob Olinger, with Ashdale…

Bob Olinger (left) must overcome Flooring Porter (right) if he's to win Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle This division is all over the place at the moment but if Monday's rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle told us anything, it was that the old guard still has plenty to offer in the new world of staying hurdling. Paisley Park taught the new dogs a few…

2022-12-28Conflated in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture after dominant win at Leopardstown The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase before pushing Clan Des Obeaux close in the Bowl…

Another busy afternoon of festive racing lies ahead on Wednesday, with five meetings taking place across the UK and Ireland. ITV Racing turns its attention to Ireland with four races from Leopardstown, including two Grade 1 contests, while there are also a couple of races from Leicester The broadcast on ITV4 is on air from 12.40-3.30pm and our…

Racing tips for Wednesday come from Catterick, Leicester and Limerick, with the Christmas festival continuing at Leopardstown. talkSPORT have gone through the race cards and form so you don't have to, with betting tips on some of the biggest meetings in the UK. There's a story behind the Christmas Hurdle that will make it all the more special if…

Tighthead props don't usually make for good jockeys. Henry de Bromhead was no exception. "I rode, I did hunting and pony club stuff, but I was probably poor-to-moderate as a rider," he says. Training horses is a different matter, however. Last March he secured his place in the Cheltenham pantheon by taking an unprecedented triple crown of Champion…

Few people, if any, have had to confront the jumble of emotions Henry de Bromhead looks set to face on Wednesday. From a purely racing point of view, the Co Waterford trainer is throwing some of his greatest names at day three of Leopardstown's Christmas festival. They are topped by the brilliant Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard in the…

Leopardstown 13:10 - Falcon Eight (each-way) Leopardstown 13:45 - Flooring Porter Leopardstown 14:20 - A Plus Tard Leicester 14:35 - Issam (each-way) Leopardstown 14:55 - Gentlemansgame Leicester 15:10 - Honneur D'ajonc (each-way) *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but…

1pt win Eric Bloodaxe in 1.10 Leopardstown at 12/1 (bet365) 1pt win Washington in 2.35 Leicester at 11/2 (General) ITV's Christmas Festival rolls on to Wednesday with six races on ITV4 headed by four from Leopardstown and the 28-runner Pertemps qualifier kicks things off in typical head-scratching style. There has been one single-figure price…

A scroll through Twitter on the evening of December 26 in recent years has tended to reveal Paul Nicholls celebrating King George success with a McDonald's on the way back from Kempton. The Ditcheat maestro, who is seeking a record-extending 13th win in the race, could well be lovin' it again on Monday with Bravemansgame and Hitman among the main…

It was when winning the Christmas Grade One in 2020 that the eight-year-old first announced himself as a leading player in the staying division and although having to settle for second behind stablemate Minella Indo at Prestbury Park later that season, got his crowning moment earlier this year when romping away with the blue riband in the hands of…

Paul Nicholls will look to tighten his grip on the trainers' championship as he heads to Boxing Day with 12 chances across the day, three of which feature in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (3.05). Clan Des Obeaux was king of Kempton in 2018 and 2019 before his stablemate Frodon caused a surprise last season and the pair are poised to play a…

CHELMSFORD: 5.30 Maharajas Express, 6.00 Bonnsie, 6.30 Giant, 7.00 Barging Thru, 7.30 PANDEMIC PRINCESS (NAP), 8.00 Bluebells Boy, 8.30 Three Dragons. KEMPTON: 12.50 Tagabawa, 1.20 Dragonball Prince, 1.50 Mighty River, 2.20 Rooful, 2.50 Covert Mission, 3.20 Uther Pendragon, 3.55 Hot Day. LINGFIELD: 12.30 Range, 1.00 Bobo Mac, 1.30 Furkash, 2.00 Hoe…

You would be forgiven for thinking we are set for a Willie Mullins match between Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi in Tuesday's feature Champion Chase (5.25) but the market suggests Envoi Allen should not be discounted at a double-figure price. The Cheveley Park-owned eight-year-old has reverted to two miles on his last couple of starts, winning a…

Tighthead props don't usually make for good jockeys. Henry De Bromhead was no exception. "I rode, I did hunting and pony club stuff, but I was probably poor-to-moderate as a rider," he says. Training horses is a different matter, however. Last March he secured his place in the Cheltenham pantheon by taking an unprecedented triple crown of Champion…

The 2022-23 jumps racing season is in full flow, with all roads already leading to the Cheltenham Festival in March as the stars of the show begin to be turned out by the big-name trainers in a bid to get them in tip-top shape for the four-day Prestbury Park thriller next year. Not all the top horses have managed to hit the ground running, however,…

Thyme Hill is fancied to finally land a big Cheltenham win in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle. Philip Hobbs' runner, 5-1 with bookies Betfred, has past champions to see off in Thursday's feature. Over 60000 people will be at the track on St Patrick's Day, all hoping to find some winners. Unlike 2021, when Ireland dominated, the British runners are…

Frost and snow has hit hard in Britain and Ireland but over the festive period ITV are planning on covering action from 14 race meetings, featuring 41 races in total, across six joyous days of high-octane racing. From Boxing Day right through to New Year's Day, the Christmas jumpers are out in force and here we highlight the full schedule including…

Energumene (left) and Galopin Des Champs are both set to return on Sunday Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs is a step closer to making his seasonal reappearance after his trainer Willie Mullins left him in Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown (2.00) at the five-day declaration stage. Galopin Des Champs is a best-priced…

Cheltenham Festival 2022 is just weeks away. Key runners will continue their preparations at Leopardstown, with contenders for the Gold Cup and Champion Chase on show Honeysuckle and Appreciate It could meet in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle Top class horses are put through their paces at this weekend's Dublin Racing Festival at…

Subsequent Gold Cup hero Don Cossack (2013), Delta Work (2018) and Envoi Allen (2020) are among the Cullentra handler's previous winners of the Grade One contest and this year he saddles two Grade One-winning hurdlers who are one from one over fences. Three Stripe Life, whose top-level success was achieved at Aintree in the spring, made a smart…

here is an open look to the feature Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle crown (3.30) on day three at the Cheltenham Festival, with five British runners and five raiders, among them the reigning champion Flooring Porter. There is every chance of a repeat victory in this staying spectacular, as Paisley Park (2019) and Lisnagar Oscar (2020) are also back.…

THE Cheltenham Festival ante post markets have been in full swing since March. Shrewd punters have been busy plotting and predicting how this year's races will finish. Irish trainers dominated last year and with the likes of Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead having such strong yards, it's no surprise many of their superstars lead the way…

Honeysuckle is as short as 1-2 to retain her Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham next month after making it 14 runs unbeaten in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. A third consecutive win in the feature race on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival looked a formality with Rachael Blackmore's mount sent off at odds of 1-5 and…