Henry De Bromhead is looking ahead to the big spring meetings at Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown following a Cheltenham Festival double last week.
De Bromhead, who won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in 2021 and again in 2022, took his career Festival tally to 25 all told following victories for Bob Olinger and Air Of Entitlement last week.
Both horses were ridden by history-making Rachael Blackmore, who spent several weeks on the sidelines earlier in the season after suffering a neck injury in a fall at Downpatrick in September.
Speaking on Monday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast, De Bromhead was full of praise for the jockey.
He said: “Rachael was unfortunate as we flew up until Christmas but then when she got back we went very quiet. And she was back for that [period of time] but she’s such a professional and she just does what she does.
“Rachael probably wouldn’t take much heed of it all but there’s been a lot of talk going on and whatever.
“But she’s a brilliant rider and there’s very few better than her around Cheltenham, I thought she was brilliant all week.”
Blackmore has a long association with 10-year-old Bob Olinger and the pair took their Cheltenham record to a perfect four from four in last Thursday’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.
That success thrilled the horse’s trainer, though he won’t be asked to go again at Aintree in three weeks’ time.
De Bromhead said: “To see Bob come back and win his Grade 1 was incredible.
“He has always been such a class horse. I know we went into the wilderness there for a while, but last year, and this year, he’s really come back to himself. He’s a dude and like any of these good horses, we’re so lucky to have them at the yard.
“He prances around the place, he’s very charismatic and knows how good he is. It was just lovely to see it.
“I don’t think we’ll see Bob Olinger at Aintree, it’s just too tight for my liking. Especially for those older guys, we need to look after them. He’s had three runs this season, I haven’t discussed it with the owners yet so I don’t know if we’re planning on Punchestown yet.”
The same owners – Robcour – also struck Festival gold courtesy of Air Of Entitlement in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and she is expected to be in action again before long after thrilling her trainer when beating favourite Sixandahalf on just her second start of the season.
He said: “Air Of Entitlement was really good.
“The plan was to go for the mares’ novice, then there’s a good gap to go from Cheltenham to Fairyhouse, so we’ll go for that.”
Commenting on some of the other key members of his team likely to be seen again in the coming weeks, he said: “Loads of others ran well, we were hitting the frame all the time. The majority of ours at Cheltenham are unlikely to go to Aintree.
“The Big Westerner jumped and travelled really well but had that bit of bad luck in running. She ran on really well again so she could be anything, hopefully. She’ll have another run this year I’d imagine but when she comes over fences next season she could be anything.
“She ran a cracker and her form shows she’s better with a bit more ease in it.
“Ballyadam ran a cracker too and he’ll go to Fairyhouse now as there’s a nice conditions race for him. He’s just between two stools to be fair.
“Monty’s Star would look unlikely [for the Grand National] and Envoi [Allen] I’m not sure, I’d like to speak to the owners. [Minella] Indo and Senior Chief are likely to run in the National.
“Monty’s Star ran a lovely race but it showed we probably don’t [have a Gold Cup horse] in the end. A couple of things didn’t go right for him, but I’d say that possibly cost him third in the end rather than costing him the race.
“He’s a big horse and has had a messed-up season so maybe we didn’t go there as spot-on as we thought, but he’s got to improve a bit.”
Regarding nine-length Ryanair Chase runner-up Heart Wood, De Bromhead added: “When you go up in trip with him, he doesn’t seem to see it out. At Aintree last year or in the Savills, he just seemed to travel well but not see it out. Maybe it’s worth trying again though as he’s still a young horse."
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