RATHBARRY and Glenview Stud stallions, past and present, were to the fore over the last three days of the Punchestown Festival. Pride of place has to go to the now retired Bob Olinger, my favourite racehorse of the past six years.

Bred by Ken Parkhill from a family that he and his late father Marshall have had an association for well over half a century, Bob Olinger heads to pastures new after a racing career that saw him win his only point-to-point, his only bumper, three of his four chases (he pulled-up once), and seven of his 17 hurdle races. He was placed nine times over the smaller obstacles, second on seven occasions, and fifth on his only other run. What a model of class and consistency.

Bob Olinger’s sire Sholokhov (Sadler’s Wells) was bred by Jim Bolger, won a Group 1 at two, ran second in two Group 1s, the Irish Derby and Eclipse Stakes, and stood his first nine seasons at Gestut Etzean. Eleven seasons followed at Glenview before his final year at Old Road Stud. A Group 1 sire on the flat, he sired the Gold Cup winner Don Cossack and is grandsire of another, Galopin Des Champs.

Blue Bresil

Just ahead of last Christmas, Glenview announced the death of Blue Bresil (Smadoun) at the age of 20. He had been there since the 2020 season, having previously stood in France and at Yorton Farm. Forever he will be remembered as the sire of Constitution Hill, the best of eight Grade 1 winners he has been responsible for to date.

Blue Bresil sired bumper winners on consecutive days at Punchestown, Adaboy Mushy and Largy Star. Bred by John Mulcahy, Adaboy Mushy failed to sell at the Goffs Arkle Sale last year, but is unbeaten on both his starts for trainer Declan Queally, his recent win following a debut success at Leopardstown. He is one of four winners for the unraced Brook Style (Alderbrook), and her half-brother Like Your Style (Flemensfirth) won the Grade A Aon Chase at Punchestown 14 years ago.

Largy Bloodstock bred and initially raced the seven-year-old gelding Largy Star, who won two point-to-points last November before joining Gavin Cromwell. He placed on his two bumper outings before winning at Punchestown, in a race won 12 months earlier by this year’s Irish Grand National winner Soldier In Milan, who beat King Rasko Grey.

Largy Star is out of Ballinahow Star (Definite Article), a dual point-to-point winner who won three times over hurdles. Her half-sister is the Grade 3 chase-winning mare, Ballinahow Lady (Beneficial).

Adrienne

Helen Walsh, wife of Ted, owns and bred Adrienne, a four-year-old daughter of Rathbarry’s Kodi Bear (Kodiac). The filly has shown that her forte is over hurdles, and she is now a listed winner in that code. Her dam Lafayette Hill also won for the Walshs, in a mile maiden at Dundalk at two.

Lossiemouth (Great Pretender) and Dinoblue (Doctor Dino) have been reviewed so often that readers could recite their families by heart. Both were stars of Punchestown 2026, Lossiemouth taking her win tally to 15, all but three at Grade 1 level, and apart from a fall, she was runner-up on the others of her 19 starts. She has won £1.32 million. Ian Kelitt and partners bred her.

Dinoblue has been a wonderful racemare for J.P. McManus. She has a single Grade 1 victory among her 13 wins, all but one of which have been over fences. In her career total of 25 runs, she was out of the first four once, and never fallen. Bred by M L Bloodstock in France, she has amassed £550,000.

Never discount Danny Mullins on a Willie Mullins runner, and they combined at Punchestown on yet another French-bred Grade 1 winner, Place De La Nation (Masked Marvel) in the Mares Champion Hurdle. She joins Teahupoo, Kalif Du Berlais, Sel Jem and Koktail Divin as a top-level winner for her sire, and is a half-sister to last year’s Irish Grand National third, Quai De Bourbon (Ivanhowe).

Christopher McKeever

The final breeder mention for Punchestown 2026 goes to Christopher McKeever, a lifelong friend and neighbour of Noel Meade. McKeever bred Meade’s Punchestown winner Blue Mosque (Berkshire), and she gained her third, and most important, win in a near three-mile listed hurdle. She added a little bit more to her value – she had previously placed in a listed hurdle race at Navan – and will be a desirable broodmare in due course.

Blue Mosque differs from her three winning siblings, as they are all by another Kedrah House Stud sire, Well Chosen (Sadler’s Wells). The best is Cheltenham Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler, and he was runner-up in the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown.

The Mourne Rambler’s ill-fated full-brother Sixshooter was, like almost everything in this family, trained by Meade, and he placed three times in Grade 2 hurdle races.

Adding further lustre to the family, The Mourne Rambler’s own-sister She’s A Star was placed in graded hurdle company, and she mated well with Blue Mosque’s sire Berkshire (Mount Nelson), breeding Meade’s Grade 2 bumper winner Colcannon. He won his first hurdle race at the Easter Festival meeting in Fairyhouse.

Further back in the family are Punchestown, Cheltenham and Aintree Festival winners such as Alexander Taipan (Taipan), Anzum (Ardross) and Jazilah (Persian Bold).