BOB TO STAY FOR LONG TERM

BOB OLINGER will have options over two and three miles at Leopardstown over Christmas, with

Henry de Bromhead still keen to run him over the longer trip.

The seven-year-old ended last season on a downward spiral, registering a fortunate victory in the Turners’ Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham after the lastfence exit of Galopin Des Champs, before being pulled up at Punchestown.

Bob Olinger (far right) reappeared back over hurdles in the Lismullen at Navan on Sunday and everything appeared to be going well as he took up the running on the bridle, but he ultimately had no response to Home By The Lee, going down by two lengths.

He is set to remain over hurdles with the two-mile Matheson Hurdle in the mix, although the three-mile Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle, named in memory of the trainer’s late son, is his preferred option at this stage.

“I think it was a very good run and I think we have to be happy with everything - bar being beaten,” De Bromhead (inset) told Racing TV. “As I said on Sunday, the winner was very good and I found out afterwards he wasn’t beaten far in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He’s a very good horse.

“It was our first run, we’ll improve plenty and as Robbie Power keeps saying, there were a lot of positives. The only negative was losing which was quite a big one.

“He’s a fella that you just don’t want to be too hard on for his first run. I think he travelled well to the second last and then just, hopefully, fitness found him out and he was beaten by a good horse that stayed well.

“We’re thinking of that (Christmas Hurdle). He’ll get an entry in both, the two and the three-mile but we’d love to see him over three miles.”