A year after Envoi Allen pitched up at Punchestown last January as steeplechasing’s next-big-thing his stable companion Bob Olinger is in a similar position on Sunday.
The Henry De Bromhead trained star will be centre-stage when having his second start over fences in the Grade 3 Kildare Novice Chase.
Bob Olinger is reunited with Rachael Blackmore for the first time since their hugely impressive success in Cheltenham's Ballymore last March.
So stylish was he then, and such is the racing public’s tendency to be excited by potential, that even in the midst of De Bromhead’s festival championship success it was Bob Olinger that captured the imagination of many fans.
Weight of expectations then probably contributed towards rather mixed reviews of his debut over fences at Gowran in November.
Bob Olinger won and the form got a terrific Grade 1 boost from Master McShee at Limerick over Christmas. Some expert eyes however were left unimpressed by parts of his jumping.
If it means he lines up this weekend minus the absolutely pristine reputation that Envoi Allen did in the same race 12 months ago there is still going to be a massive level of focus and expectation.
Potential superstar
Considering how loudly the Envoi Allen balloon subsequently burst is a warning about hyping potential rather than proven accomplishment.
A spectacular Christmas chasing debut by Galopin Des Champs has also deflected some attention from Bob Olinger in that fickle ‘potential superstar’ stakes.
However he remains a talent of immense promise and is a clear favourite for his likely Cheltenham target, the Turners Novice Chase.
That was the race that saw the first chink Envoi Allen’s reputation having enjoyed little more than a lucrative canter in his Punchestown warm-up.
The presence of the Willie Mullins pair Capodanno and Gaillard Du Mesnil means Sunday's race is unlikely to be a similar exhibition event.
Gaillard Du Mesnil is a proven Grade 1 winner himself, and chased home Bob Olinger in the Ballymore, yet could manage only third to Capodanno at Naas last month.
Both can be expected to progress significantly from their chasing debuts and present the star attraction with a worthwhile test.
If he can’t pass it then it will only serve as another warning about the dangers of getting too excited too soon about young talent.
Also under the microscope this weekend will be the form of De Bromhead’s team overall. Bob Olinger is one of nine runners between Fairyhouse and Punchestown for the record breaking trainer who endured a comparatively underwhelming Christmas period.
A single winner from a dozen National Hunt runners so far in 2022 will be a niggling worry for Bob Olinger fans too.
So in the circumstances a victory for Amirite at Fairyhouse on Saturday would provide considerable reassurance.
There was plenty to like about how Amirite ran fourth as a 50-1 outsider behind his stable companion Journey With Me on the final day of Leopardstown’s festival.
Amirite’s big threat could be Daily Present who chased home Hawai Game at Naas last month.
Hawai Game appears to be the Willie Mullins second-string in the weekend’s Grade 2 highlight, Sunday’s Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.
Dysart Dynamo tops the seven runners for a race Mullins has already won a record seven times.
It will be the first race on the Punchestown programme due to a total of 42 runners in the following two divisions of a maiden hurdle.
“The first race was divided. There are seven runners in that Grade 2 race so in order to give the better horses in the better race the better ground, we’ve moved it,” explained Punchestown’s boss, Conor O’Neill.
Dysart Dynamo maintained his unbeaten record when making a winning debut at Cork last month.
The form hasn’t worked out particularly well but he is clearly well regarded by Mullins and isn’t likely to have a problem with very testing ground conditions.
Gordon Elliott’s newcomer in one of the maiden hurdles, Jack In The Box, carries the Magnier colours while he saddles Glenloe in the concluding amateur chase for JP McManus.
Exit To The West returns to fences in this contest having been pulled up over hurdles at Limerick during Christmas.
She lost a shoe on that occasion and didn’t jump fluently. But a repeat of a fine second to Glenquin Castle over fences prior to that will make Exit To The West a contender.
