Ruby Walsh: I can’t see Bob Olinger being beaten at the Punchestown Festival

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing/Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason, you will lose your stake under traditional antepost rules

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Ruby Walsh is looking ahead to the Punchestown Festival but the pundit cannot see anyone topping Bob Olinger.

Top pundit Ruby assessed the field on the latest edition of Paddy Power’s From the Horses Mouth podcast, ahead of next week’s showcase Festival that brings the curtain down on the Irish jumps season.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained gelding will go off as favourite in Friday’s feature race, the Champion Novices Hurdle.

Bob Olinger will be against the likes of Gaillard Du Mesnil, Appreciate It, Ashdale Bob and Telmesomethinggirl. However, Ruby insists the competition won’t be able to get near Bob Olinger if the six-year-old performs like he did when winning at the Cheltenham Festival.

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When asked whether the Champion Novice Hurdle was all about Bob Olinger on From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Ruby said: “Yeah I mean he looked spectacular in Cheltenham and it was a fairly hot race on paper, you had Gaillard Du Mesnil and Paul Nicholls’s horse Bravemansgame.

I know Bravesmansgame disappointed at Aintree since, but Paul Nicholls all bar told us before the race that he thought Cheltenham had left its mark on his horse for Aintree.

“When you look down through here, how does Gaillard Du Mesnil turn the form with Bob Olinger? One horse has to grossly underperform for that to happen, Gaillard Du Mesnil ran his race, Bob Olinger was too good for him.

“Martin Pipe Hurdle winners have a better record going to the three mile hurdle in Punchestown than they probably do coming to this two and a half mile contest, so Galopin Des Champs may step up in trip like Killultagh Vic did in 2015 when he beat Thistlecrack. Galopin Des Champs might go for that contest over three miles instead.

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“Of the others who are entered at this stage, Appreciate It will run in the two mile race. Ashdale Bob put in a good battling performance to win in Fairyhouse carrying the penalty, but that form still leaves him shy of Bob Olinger’s best. Blue Lord was second to Bob Olinger in Naas, when he raced a bit keenly. Bob Olinger looked an even better horse in March than he did at Naas in January, so I can’t see Blue Lord beating him.

“Cape Gentleman is definitely a better horse going right-handed and will love the 2m 4f trip  – he could be the potential value each-way.

However, if the Bob Olinger that won the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival turns up, this is a one-horse race.”

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing/Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason, you will lose your stake under traditional antepost rules

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