FEATURE KEITH DONOGHUE
“Donoghue could have… a horse capable of taking the Grade One prize back to Ireland”
runners with Pentland Hills back in 2019 the last winner not to hail from an Irish yard. Although both Lulamba and East India Dock will be doing their best to keep the prize on English soil, Donoghue could have, in the unbeaten Hello Neighbour, a horse capable of taking the Grade One prize back over to Ireland once again. He added: “Hello Neighbour has done nothing wrong over hurdles and he has already won a Grade Two and a Grade One. He did more things right on his last start, and he jumped much better, so with natural progression hopefully he will improve again. He is still improving, but we don’t have a line through the English and Irish form so it is all opinions.
Donghue’s sole victory at last year’s Festival came aboard Limerick Lace in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. And while it will be a late decision as to what he rides in that Grade Two, he believes at the same level Sixandahalf represents his best chance of another moment centre stage at The Festival in the Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle. Donoghue said: “You have Maughreen in it and Paul Nicholls’ mare Jubilee Alpha has done little wrong as well. We are going into the race on the back of one run, the same as Maughreen, but she has plenty of experience from the flat and she jumped great the last day. We do think she is one of our strongest chances going
to the meeting, if not our best chance. She did everything right in her last race at Fairyhouse so you have to be delighted with her. I would say the experience from the Flat will come into play and the hardness as she has from running in plenty of big handicaps which will serve her well.” In recent seasons the JCB Triumph Hurdle has eluded British-trained
I think a true run race in the Triumph Hurdle will suit our lad so hopefully he is good enough. All in all, with several others I will be riding in the handicaps, I’d like to think that I could hit the target at least once at this year’s meeting.”
46 The Festival Preview Magazine
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