Blackmore wins on Bob Olinger for Cheltenham double

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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.

Earlier on Thursday 6-4 favourite Fact To File, ridden by Mark Walsh, comfortably saw off eight rivals to win the Ryanair.

Once favourite for the Gold Cup, Fact To File was instead sent to the shorter Ryanair and won by nine lengths from Heart Wood, with Envoi Allen in third.

"That was brilliant. That sort of distance suits him. He never missed a beat," said Walsh.

"Even coming up the hill, he heard the crowd and pricked his ears - he had loads left."

Fact To File could be aimed at the Gold Cup next year. He finished five lengths back in third at Leopardstown in his previous race to stablemate Galopin Des Champs, who will seek a treble in Cheltenham's showpiece on Friday.

McManus had another winner in the Plate thanks to 3-1 favourite Jagwar, steered home by Jonjo O'Neill Jr for trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Caldwell Potter was a convincing and poignant winner in the Jack Richards Novices' Chase.

The horse, ridden by Harry Cobden, runs in the yellow and red colours of John Hales, who died aged 85 in January.

It was a 50th Cheltenham Festival winner for trainer Paul Nicholls.

And the first prize recoups nearly £50,000 for the syndicate, which includes former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who bought Caldwell Potter for 740,000 euros (£630,000) last year.

That made him the most expensive National Hunt horse ever sold at public auction.

There was sad news after the race that faller Springwell Bay, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and his son AJ, sustained a fatal injury.

Trainer Nicky Henderson enjoyed a 1-2 in the Pertemps Final as 25-1 shot Doddiethegreat, with Brian Hughes on board, won from Jeriko Du Reponet.

The winner is named after Scotland and Lions lock Doddie Weir - who died after a battle with motor neurone disease - and owner Kenny Alexander will donate his £47,000 prize money to a foundation in the rugby great's memory.

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