Olofi redeems last year’s attempt in the Racing Post Hurdle with style
What resulted as the runner-up’s position for the six-year-old grey gelding, Olofi, became a dream come true for the connections on 18th November at Cheltenham as the six-year-old won the Grade 3 Racing Post Hurdle. He cornered Cash And Go into
the second slot by the neatly defined margin of 2 ½ lengths. Not that his success owed to the level of competition in the field as the Tom George trained did have to take a few down in order to be the first one through the eight hurdles.
During the first half of the race, there were no jumping errors as such and each had set covering ground as the top most priority. The lot of eighteen made a pretty smooth transition into the second half of the hurdle race.
With the last three jumps on the horizon, One Cool Shabra and Bothy, had gained control of the field, but just a few strides more, and the competitors from downhill started to surface including Prospect Wells, Olofi and Cash And Go.
Jockey, Danny Cook’s mount became a little threatening just when the field was entering the home straight. These two cornered the ultimate winner of the race, Olofi, by the rail.
The effort went in vain, as Paddy Brennan, the winner’s rider for the day, slipped in the winning opportunity that presented itself.
The handler continued: "He was only beaten four lengths by Zarkandar last year (Betfair Hurdle, Newbury) and everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. It's credit to my staff for getting him back to win a race like this.”
Brennan said: "He's got me so many rollickings this horse, giving him too much to do, but by doing that, that's how we've had the finished article today. It was just a case of trying to keep him under control and out of the race. The brilliance was always
there. It was just getting him to use it.”
Last year, Slickly’s French grey gelding lost by the same margin that he set adrift by during the latest edition of the race.
The Paul Nicholls trained, Brampour, took the honour last time, but both his representatives this time around, Prospect Wells and Dark Lover, could not even finish in the frame of first three positions.
Trainer, Nicky Henderson, however, took home the next best title that was brought in by, Cash And Go.
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