Ian Donoghue riding high following a return from retirement

Ian Donoghue made a comeback this season, 11 years after he retired in 2009, and he enjoyed a fruitful afternoon on Saturday at Oldtown where he secured a double on the card, his first to date.

Toast To Thomas was Donoghue's first ride on his comeback at Dowth Hall in late-October, where the elder brother of Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Keith Donoghue finished second aboard the Patrick Casey-trained gelding.
 
The son of Arakan went one spot better on Saturday afternoon, securing a ten-length victory following a below par at Mainstown where he pulled up in the interim.
 
"He'll probably go to the Ascot sale in March."
 
"He's the reason I'm back riding, when we brought him home Keith (Donoghue) said 'why don't you lose the weight and ride him'.
 
"When I moved back home in May, I was 15 and-a-half-stone. I didn't appreciate riding because I didn't have the dedication, and I was always going hunting instead of anything else.”
 
The second leg of the double came courtesy of the William Durkan-trained Screaming Colours, who ran out an impressive winner by nine lengths.
 
"He will probably run again in a few weeks. Hopefully he will be back out quick enough."
 
Donoghue's first winner came at Tallanstown in 2008 aboard the Gordon Elliott-trained Lord Lansdown, just over a year prior to his retirement.
 
"We knew Gordon through the hunting when we were younger. I actually used to muck out for Gordon when I was nine.

“Gordon is a friend of Mam and Dad's as well, that was the connection with Gordon. I was lucky I rode the winner for him that time."
 
Donoghue now rides out for Gavin Cromwell every morning as well as helping another number of trainers in his locality and up the north of the country.
 
"I'm in Gavin's every morning. I try to go up north once a week. Mostly on a Wednesday, I go up to Stuart and Ross Crawford. They've been good to me.
 
"I do plenty of schooling for Warren Ewing. I haven't had much luck for Warren yet, but I would talk to Warren most days.
 
"Patrick Casey is one of my best friends, he's my neighbour, and we would have done show horses and hunters together and now thoroughbreds."
 
Donoghue is also busy at his own yard at his home place in Co. Meath.
 
"We're busy here at home, I've ten in the whole time between breakers and pre trainers. I have one here at the moment for Gavin, I had five for him a few weeks ago.

“Gavin has been good to me, if I have an empty stable, he will send one on. If I don't have an empty stable he won't send one on, he won't leave me with an empty stable anyway!"