Rachael Blackmore won the Stayers’ Hurdle aboard Bob Olinger to complete a Cheltenham Festival double on Thursday.
The 8-1 shot, trained by Henry de Bromhead, beat last year’s winner Teahupoo in a thrilling battle up the hill.
“I’m very lucky to be on this horse. He is brilliant. He has so much speed and could use it,” said Blackmore, who earlier triumphed on Air Of Entitlement.
Meanwhile, Fact To File put in a bold display to win the Ryanair Chase for trainer Willie Mullins and owner JP McManus.
Blackmore and Bob Olinger clinched a third Festival triumph after novice hurdle and novice chase successes in 2021 and 2022.
The pioneering 35-year-old jockey adds the Stayers’ Hurdle to a winning CV that also includes the Grand National, Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Ryanair.
She claimed her first victory of this year’s meeting with a brilliant ride on 16-1 chance Air Of Entitlement for De Bromhead, pouncing late to finish half a length in front of favourite Sixandahalf in the mares’ novices’ hurdle.
Blackmore, who was sidelined for three months with a neck injury after a fall in September, was the first woman to be leading jockey at the Festival in 2021 and now has 18 victories at the meeting.
Bob Olinger was seemingly the second string for owners Robcour behind reigning champion Teahupoo, but was backed down from an overnight price of 20-1 and won by a length and three quarters, with The Wallpark in third.
