Keith Donoghue
Keith Donoghue’s William Hill blog: St Stephen’s Day rides preview
William Hill ambassador Keith Donoghue previews his rides on St Stephen’s Day at Leopardstown.
Friday, Leopardstown
Once Christmas Day is over the focus will be on Leopardstown where I’ve got six rides, so it will be a busy afternoon.
First up for me will be Le Tatoue Madrik in the opening two-mile maiden hurdle (12.05pm). Hopefully he can show more than the last day in his one bumper run. He is a good jumper at home, and I do think he will be better now switched to hurdles, but it is a very competitive race. I picked him over Gavin’s (Cromwell) other runner in the race, but Chris Jones would be an owner I’ve always ridden a lot for over the years. If he finished in the money at all we would be delighted.
In the other two-mile maiden (12.35pm) I ride Grandy Lane for Gavin. He had a good run in a bumper the first day this season then he just disappointed the last day at Punchestown when some of the horses weren’t quite right and hopefully you can put a line through that run. He ran in a hurdle before being switched back to bumpers on his last start and I really don’t understand why they don’t have that system in Britain. It is great for a horse to run in a hurdle and get experience then find out if they are good enough to go back for a bumper instead of giving them a hard race in a bumper and them not being good enough. It is a very good maiden hurdle when you have the likes of El Cairos and Doctor Du Mesnil of Willie’s (Mullins) in there but I do think my lad can run into a place.
We are throwing North Shore in the deep end on his debut for us in the Grade Two juvenile hurdle (1.10pm), but he seems a nice horse and he ran to a good level on the Flat in France. His schooling has been good at home, and although it is a very competitive race, we are looking forward to running him. It is hard to compare all these juveniles we’ve had in recent years, but we wouldn’t be putting him in this race if we didn’t like him.
I’m teaming up with my brother Ian to ride True Testimony in the novice handicap hurdle (1.45pm). She won her chase at Fairyhouse the last day, but we have switched her back to hurdles as she is off a lower mark over hurdles. It is a competitive contest, but I think she can run a big race. It is always nice to ride for Ian and he is having a great season. It would be nice to get him a winner on St Stephen’s Day.
We team up again with Break My Soul in the Grade One novice chase (2.20pm). It is a very good race, but if she could run into a place and get a bit of prizemoney and black type we would be delighted. She just didn’t run her race last time in the Grade Two at Cork, but her win at Gowran Park was a good win and if she came back to that form then hopefully she would have a good chance. If something was to happen to any of the main ones, then hopefully she will be there to pick up the pieces.
My final ride of the day is on The King Of Prs in the two mule one furlong handicap chase (2.55pm). It is hard to know how well handicapped he is, but he always runs his race in those two mile handicap chases. He wasn’t beaten that far in the race last year, and although like most of the race it is very competitive, hopefully he can be bang there as he is only four pounds higher than when he was third last year.
