Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Olinger is shooting for glory
BOB OLINGER will be expected to boost his Cheltenham credentials by landing the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle in Naas tomorrow.
The County Kildare track was unfit for racing yesterday due to frost – tomorrow’s action is subject to a 1.30 inspection today.
And it’s probably a good indication of prospects for the meeting that HRI have already ear-marked Wednesday, January 13 as an alternative date.
If the meeting goes ahead, Henry de Bromhead’s exciting six-year-old Bob Olinger, beaten once in four starts, should be tough to beat in the featured Grade 1, a race won last year by Envoi Allen and dominated in recent seasons by Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott – who have won the last seven renewals between them.
Winner of his point, for Pat Doyle in Turtulla, the Sholokhov gelding bolted-up on his racecourse debut in a point-to-point bumper at Gowran Park last March.
The selection made his seasonal and hurdling debut at the County Kilkenny track and ran a cracker when going down by a length to Cheltenham Bumper winner Ferny Hollow.
He built on that effort when, stepping-up to two and a half miles, he was sent off at 1/8 for a Navan maiden hurdle last month. Making all for Rachael Blackmore, he came home, hard held 14 lengths clear of Dunboyne.
That was a modest enough event. But Bob Olinger set a good gallop, jumped low and fast and kept galloping.
He’ll face a much tougher task tomorrow, but should take plenty of beating.
Willie Mullins relies on the progressive and well-regarded Blue Lord.
Jessica Harrington’s Ashdale Bob is another realistic threat while Gordon Elliott will be represented by Leopardstown winner Wide Receiver and Ragnar Lodbrok.
TODAY’S Fairyhouse meeting, lost to the frost, has been rescheduled for Tuesday. Thursday’s cancelled Clonmel meeting, will now take place on Tuesday, January 19.