Donoghue & Stone-Walsh complete Downpatrick brace Small Town Hero (4/7 fav) took the concluding handicap chase at Downpatrick to give trainer Ian Donoghue and jockey Conor Stone-Walsh doubles after Hitthehayson had won earlier on the card. Having rattled up a hat-trick over hurdles on his first three starts for Donoghue, the Jet Away gelding had climbed to a mark of 100 over flights. Here, on his first start since August and off a chase mark of just 77, he led from halfway and posted a comfortable five and a half lengths win over Toor Moon. Donoghue said of the Kilkenny Racing Syndicate's five-year-old: "It was great, Conor said he took a big blow after he jumped the third-last and he just filled him up. "He'll improve plenty from it now. "The handicapper is probably going to nail him, but look he's four from four now for the lads. "We were always going to do it (exploit lower chase mark). I probably didn't think I would see as weak a race when we did go to do it. We had to do it and it worked out well." When asked, if he keeps progressing, could he be an Ulster National horse down the road, he replied: "Yes, definitely - he would stay all day. "You don't know what could happen, we'll keep him in his grades for the time being anyway and enjoy him." Additional reporting by Michael Graham
