Keith Donoghue’s William Hill blog: I wouldn’t swap Hello Neighbour in the Triumph

William Hill ambassador Keith Donoghue previews his rides on Days Three and Four of the Cheltenham Festival.

Day One and Two recap

Although I was out of luck on the first day of the meeting both Only By Night in the Arkle and Malina Girl in the Ultima ran serious races in defeat.

It was a great performance by Only By Night. It was a little bit of a sickener to get caught so late, but it was also a great run. We probably had a bit of luck on our side with Majborough missing the last two fences, but it showed she belongs at that level. I’m not sure I would want to be taking Majborough on again if he jumped well, but it looked like it was the right decision to run in that race. I could feel Majborough was staying on and I thought he might be the one to catch me, but I didn’t know where Nico (de Boinville) on Jango Baie came from.

Malina Girl is a small mare, but she really ran her heart as well which was pleasing to see.

Cheltenham, Thursday

On Thursday I get things underway aboard Sixandahalf in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (1:20pm). She was very good when she won at Fairyhouse last time. Obviously, she is coming into this after just one run over hurdles, which is the same as some of the other mares in the race, and it is a competitive race with a full field. We are happy enough that she has only had the one run over hurdles and we expected her to do what she did over them. We are going to need a bit of luck, but she jumps well, and she has the experience of running in big fields on the flat so hopefully that will help her, while I don’t see the slight drop back in trip being an issue.

Will The Wise had a hard race a couple of weeks ago in heavy ground at Naas so hopefully that won’t have left an effect on him in the Pertemps Final (2:40pm). The better ground will suit him well and he has to have a great chance. He has finished behind the likes of Final Demand and The Yellow Clay. However, Final Demand beat him easily and people read into that form a bit too much sometimes. We have always thought we would see the best off him over these staying trips and he is less exposed than some of them in the race.

Path D’Oroux finished third in the Grand Annual last season and he won at Cheltenham in October. He has plenty of experience and he is always knocking on the door. We are going up in trip in the Plate (4:40pm) just to try and help his jumping a little bit. We are quietly confident that he will run a good race. He is a little bit like My Mate Mozzie and it would be nice if he could get a big day.

Cheltenham, Friday

Friday looks to be another busy day for me and it is great to get the final day of the meeting off with Hello Neighbour in the Triumph Hurdle (1:20pm). I’m really looking forward to him, but it appears to be a good field and looking at it there seems to be plenty of depth to it. Our lad is improving all the time and he has improved again since Leopardstown. We are really looking forward to him. I think everyone has seen that he has clearly improved on each of his two starts so far over hurdles. He jumped better, and settled better, the last day so if he can step forward again he will be bang there. You have to have the utmost respect for the two English horses as they do look very good, but we wouldn’t swap our lad. The hood is on him and it definitely helps him in his races.

Unfortunately, Pinot Gris got seven pounds added to his back from the English handicapper ahead of his run in the William Hill County Hurdle (2:00pm). He was high enough rated in Ireland as it was so it is hard enough to know how well-handicapped he is. He is strengthening up and improving all the time. He had a good run the last day at Leopardstown in December and we think he has a good each-way chance in a competitive race. He might not have been seen out since December, but he is a very fit horse so he won’t be lacking in that department, however we will need a slice of luck in the race.

I’ve decided to ride Brides Hill in the Mares’ Chase (2:40pm). She has definitely been a little bit disappointing this season. We thought she would win the last day at Huntingdon, but she is in good form and she will go very will. Put it simply the better the ground is the better her chance is. I did have the pick of the mares from Gavin’s yard in the race. I just thought with the prospect of better ground being there she was the one to ride and she has been going well. She is well worth her place in the field.

My last ride of the meeting is on Flicker Of Hope in the for Mark Fahey in the Albert Bartlett (3:20pm). He has the profile of the sort of horses that run well in this race. He is a hardened handicapper and he has a decent handicap rating. He has run in a lot of big handicaps and he was third at the Dublin Racing Festival the last day. He has plenty of experience and I think he can run a big race here. He is definitely flying a bit under the radar. Mark is a good trainer that is doing well in Ireland and he is certainly able to get one ready.