Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are very much the Irish trainers most associated with Cheltenham Festival success in recent times. However, others have contributed to the Emerald Isle dominance, with the likes of Gavin Cromwell and Henry De Bromhead doing their bit to ensure that green ribbons invariably adorn the Prestbury Cup.
Focussing on the Knockeen operation of De Bromhead, the 52-year-old handler has provided many a memorable moment in recent years – usually in tandem with his number one rider, the ever-popular Rachael Blackmore.
Back-to-back Gold Cups with Minella Indo and A Plus Tard in 2021 and 2022 put De Bromhead in the headlines, but the most touching success came in 2023. Lining up in the Mare’s Hurdle, only a few months after the tragic death of De Bromhead’s 13-year-old son Jack, Honeysuckle ensured there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when claiming a fourth Cheltenham Festival success.
Slow Start in 2025
With 23 Cheltenham Festival wins heading into the meeting, many punters paid close attention to the De Bromhead team as the Festival rolled into gear. The yard may have enjoyed a quiet start to the year, but this is the meeting at which De Bromhead invariably comes good.
Those claiming the yard was out of form appeared vindicated on Days 1 and 2, as the De Bromhead runners largely performed below expectations. From Workahead’s last-of-11 finish in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle to the fifth-placed effort of Jasko Des Dames in the Grand Annual, De Bromhead sent out 12 runners without success over the first two days.
| Race | Runner | Jockey | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Sky Lord | Darragh O’Keeffe | 8th |
| Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Workahead | Rachael Blackmore | 11th |
| Ultima Handicap Chase | The Short Go | Rachael Blackmore | 5th |
| Mares’ Hurdle | July Flower | Rachael Blackmore | 5th |
| Turners Novices’ Hurdle | Forty Coats | Darragh O’Keeffe | 4th |
| Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase | Gorgeous Tom | Darragh O’Keeffe | 4th |
| Coral Cup | Ballyadam | Rachael Blackmore | 3rd |
| Coral Cup | Beckett Rock | Darragh O’Keeffe | 6th |
| Champion Chase | Captain Guinness | Rachael Blackmore | 3rd |
| Champion Chase | Quilixios | Darragh O’Keeffe | Fell |
| Grand Annual | Jasko Des Dames | Darragh O’Keeffe | 5th |
| Grand Annual | Dancing On My Own | Rachael Blackmore | 19th |
Rebounding on Day 3
Despite drawing a blank, there had been glimmers of hope on Days 1 and 2; Ballyadam finished a solid third in the Coral Cup, Captain Guinness filled the same position in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Quilixios was in the process of running a mighty race only to fall at the final fence in the same event.
At the end of Day 3 at the meeting, the form figures of the seven De Bromhead runners read a much more respectable 0010231. The mare Air Of Entitlement set the ball rolling in the opening Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle, when coming with a storming late effort under the Blackmore drive to reel in the market leader and score by ½l. Thrilling as that success was, the best was still to come in the feature event.
Brilliant Bob Makes it Three from Three at the Festival
Having saddled Heart Wood and Envoi Allen to finish second and third to the sensational Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase, De Bromhead’s final Day 3 runner came in the Stayers Hurdle.
Having finished an 18½l fifth in his only previous appearance in a Grade 1 hurdle over 3m, Bob Ollinger was barely mentioned on the Cheltenham preview circuit. However, Blackmore suggested it may be unwise to underestimate her mount. How right she turned out to be.
Given an ice-cool ride out the back, Bob Ollinger was expertly cajoled into the race by Blackmore to move upside the leader, defending champ, and hot favourite, Teahupoo. Going in the same Robcour silks as Bob Ollinger, the market leader lost the lead in midair over the final hurdle and had no answers to the inspired Bob Ollinger on the run to the line.
Having claimed the 2021 Ballymore Novices Hurdle and benefitted from the final fence fall of Galopin Des Champs to claim the 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase, Bob Ollinger now boasts a perfect three-from-three record at the Cheltenham Festival. This latest success also marked a notable achievement for his popular handler and brilliant jockey.
Stayers Completes Championship Set
Most trainers would state that it is a thrill to claim any race at the Cheltenham, and there is no doubt plenty of truth in that. However, for those towards the summit of the game, the Championship level contests of the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and, in more recent times, Ryanair Chase, feature towards the top of the wish list. De Bromhead and Blackmore have now claimed them all.
Henry de Bromhead’s Cheltenham Championship Race Wins
| Year | Race | Winner | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Champion Chase | Sizing Europe | Andrew Lynch |
| 2017 | Champion Chase | Special Tiara | Noel Fehily |
| 2018 | Ryanair Chase | Balko Des Flos | Davy Russell |
| 2021 | Champion Hurdle | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2021 | Champion Chase | Put The Kettle On | Aidan Coleman |
| 2021 | Gold Cup | Minella Indo | Jack Kennedy |
| 2022 | Champion Hurdle | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2022 | Gold Cup | A Plus Tard | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2023 | Ryanair Chase | Envoi Allen | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2024 | Champion Chase | Captain Guinness | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2025 | Stayers’ Hurdle | Bob Olinger | Rachael Blackmore |
Winning the first of four Queen Mother Champion Chases with Sizing Europe in 2011, De Bromhead added the Ryanair Chase in 2018 thanks to the surprising success of Balko De Flos. Then came a memorable 2021, which saw the handler complete the Champion Hurdle (Honeysuckle) and Gold Cup (Minella Indo) double – a feat he repeated in 2022 with Honeysuckle once again and emphatic Gold Cup champ a Plus Tard.
A second Ryanair Chase triumph came in 2023 thanks to Envoi Allen, whilst Captain Guinness caused a surprise when claiming the 2024 Champion Chase. Spectacular wins one and all, but the spot reserved for the Stayers Hurdle trophy remained empty. Thanks to Bob Ollinger, that has been put right.
In riding the winners of the Gold Cup (2022), Ryanair Chase (2023), and Champion Hurdle (2021,2022) Rachael Blackmore was De Bromhead’s chief partner in crime amidst that run of success. Having added the Champion Chase to her haul with Captain Guinness in 2024, Blackmore’s perfect performance aboard Bob Ollinger sees her join the exclusive list of jockeys who have claimed all five championship-level events. No doubt, there may be more to come for both trainer and jockey.