Rachael Blackmore flattens another Grade 1 field with brilliant Bob Olinger

There is no stopping Rachael Blackmore, who was back making more headlines while the latest ones were barely dry.

Although one of Tuesday's heroines was able to take it easy and look forward to another month before she has to race again, there was no such luxury for her history-making partner.

Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle was reported "in really good form" by Henry de Bromhead, who will "probably" look towards the Punchestown festival for the tip-top mare's next assignment.

But there was no rest for Blackmore less than 24 hours after breaking new ground by becoming the first woman to ride the winner of hurdling's most prestigious race.

Ballymore Novices' Hurdle: full result and race replay

With plenty more festival rides to come, she had no time to sit back and enjoy the media frenzy. "Yesterday was massive, I'm pinching myself over it, but I don't think I'll really get to reflect on it until the week is done," she said. "You're just steamrollering on to today."

And steamrollering was exactly what she and Bob Olinger did to the opposition in the opening Ballymore Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday.

He came to Cheltenham with a huge reputation on the back of two smooth wins in Ireland and left it as an undeniable star, the latest to emerge from De Bromhead's increasingly powerful County Waterford yard.

The six-year-old was backed into 6-4 favourite and although he was slightly tight for room at one stage, he never gave his supporters many worrying moments as he cruised into the lead two out and came home an easy seven-and-a-half-length winner.

Blackmore said: "I didn't get as smooth a run as I thought I would in such a small field, he was a little bit keen past the stands the first time. But the manner in which he did it, he has a massive future ahead of him.

"When you're going better than the horses around you, it's easy to make your space. He won a point-to-point for Pat Doyle and he always thought a lot of him. Patrick Mullins won a bumper on him and he thought a lot of him. So an awful lot of people have thought a lot of this horse and it's great that he could go and do that today and really stamp what he's made of."

De Bromhead was just as pleased to see Bob Olinger live up to his reputation and said: "We have a very high opinion of him. He had to go and show it again today and thankfully he did. I was very hopeful but it was a very good race and you never know on the day.

"Rachael was brilliant on him again and he just couldn't have done it any better. He's a horse we've always liked and he's done very little wrong. He's very exciting."

But now the trainer is faced with the same dilemma as Willie Mullins has with Supreme winner Appreciate It: should he look to chasing or see what Bob Olinger can achieve over hurdles first?

"We'll get through his novice season and then see," the trainer said. "He's built like a chaser and jumps like one so we'd normally love going that way but we'll see what everyone wants to do and work from there. We'll enjoy today."

Nor is there any telling the winner's best trip, as De Bromhead admitted: "I started the season aiming him at the Supreme but everyone persuaded me, quite rightly, to step up. He has so much pace but he seems to be able to quicken off a trip as well. I think you could go either way with him."

Mullins was more definite about the future of runner-up Gaillard Du Mesnil and said: "He ran well but he was beaten by a much better horse on the day. Maybe he needs a bit further in trip. We'll look at next year going over fences."

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