Donoghue enjoying latest career as handler

Former jockey Alan Donoghue is making strides in his new occupation as a point-to-point trainer.

Donoghue’s varied career in racing brought him Listed success as a jockey at Galway, a brief novice-hurdle partnership as a 7lb claimer with future Graded chaser Rathgar Beau and — after leaving the saddle — a spell as agent for former colleagues.

More recently, he helped to nurture the early points career of top chaser Road To Respect and it is in his training guise between the flags that he believes he has found his niche.

It has been a long road since Donoghue finished his riding days 12 years ago, but he is flourishing in his current role — with recent Nengah winner A Ton Nom among current projects.

“When I gave up the riding, I did a bit of pre-training and I had about five runners I’d say at that time,” said the Carlow man.

“I trained a winner then — Rockyaboya — and he went on for Willie Mullins to win the Paddy Power (at Leopardstown in 2013).

“After I got him sold, I went down a different avenue as a jockeys’ agent for a good few years.”

It is back training horses that Donoghue finds himself most at home, though.

“I’ve left that (agent’s role) now — and there will be no going back,” he said.

“Even when I was a jockey, I was always more interested in training and the progression of young horses.

“I’m obsessed with that side of it, and the pedigrees.

“I’ve bitten the bullet over what’s been sort of a three-year time-frame. I bought yearlings and two-year-olds.

“This year now I have six or seven four-year-olds to run, and there’s six there just gone three that are broken and riding.”

It is an enterprise which has already born notable fruit.

“Treehouse Stables Partnership is what we trade under,” he added.

“I sold Road To Respect and he’s gone on to be a multiple Grade One scorer and a Cheltenham winner, so I’m content enough that I can get the job done.

“The horses here are looked after well, and we work hard.”

At nine, French-bred A Ton Nom has benefited from Donoghue’s patience.

“He ran as a four-year-old for Paul Nolan. He’s a huge, big horse, though, and he pulled up then.

“He’s nine and as I said on the day (of his win), I think he could lay claim to being the best nine-year-old maiden in the country.

“He’s always gone well at home, and the plan is to run him again on Saturday week at Kirkistown.

“Even at the age he is, he was still a bit green if anything at Nenagh. He won five lengths going away — sprinting from the back of the last.”

Donoghue views his racing experiences to date as stepping stones to where he has always wanted to be.

He said: “I rode in some good races — but my biggest win was probably aboard On Your Way for Liz Doyle at Galway in a 50,000 euro race (the 2005 Listed Galway City Tribune Handicap Hurdle).

“Rathgar Beau was quite likely the best I rode. I had a great time with his trainer ‘Dusty’ Sheehy for a good few years.”

He was no stranger to Cheltenham winners either during his association with former trainer Colm Murphy, who sent a string of star names to the big Festivals.

“I was there in the good times with Colm Murphy too, when Brave Inca, Feathard Lady and Big Zeb were there.

“Now when I’m here training myself, I often think ‘what would Colm do’ in different scenarios.

“I take my lead from how Colm did things. His results spoke for themselves.”