Forrard Away, near side, jumps the last as Bold Emperor unseats Darragh O'Keeffe© Photo Healy Racing
Forrard Away was left clear at the final fence of the beginners' chase in Ballinrobe as he got off the mark on chasing debut. You Say Nothing led and was soon clear under Brien Kane but the petrol gauge flickered before the the third last as Bold Emperor and Forrard Away closed right up on them.
Bold Emperor picked it up at that obstacle but Forrard Away was right on him. The pair soon moved clear before the penultimate fence where there was very little in it.
They were both asked for their effort between the last two fences but everything changed at the last.
Bold Emperor held a very narrow advantage but met it on the wrong stride giving Darragh O'Keeffe no chance as he was unseated.
Forrard Away, the 11/4 favourite, duly galloped in by nine lengths from Call A Cab (3/1). She Tops The Lot (8/1) finished third.
Donoghue won the opener in Tipperary on board Gillian Callaghan's The Dasher Conway and was third on An Droichead Eile in a handicap hurdle. He then made the journey up to Tipperary to ride Forrard Away for Jim Dreaper.
The trainer said: “They’ve done wonders in this place, it’s a lovely track, the whole place is great.
“That was grand. He would normally — if May had been a proper warm May — he’d have been out on the grass already.
“He was in just tricking around, waiting for the nice weather to come. We schooled him a bit and decided to give him a run.
“Maybe he was lucky, maybe he wasn’t, but he’s had a nice run round and he’s a nice horse to look forward to for next winter.”
Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy
