Keith Donoghue

They say jump racing is the greatest leveller there is and I was reminded of that once again over Christmas when I won my first ever Grade One on Hardline in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase at Limerick and 24 hours later was sidelined after I broke my eye socket in three places, my cheek bone and my nose after a fall from Burren Life. His head was coming back up as I was going down — he basically head butted me. I got a plate put in my cheek bone and my nose straightened, so I’m actually looking a bit better now.

There was a lot of blood. It was funny, ‘Busty’ Amond, who is an assistant to Gordon Elliott, where I’m based, and my little brother Ross, who is 13 and riding out at Gordon’s a bit too now, were standing at the last fence. It happened at the second last and they came down.

I was drinking a bottle of water and Busty said “Go handy, you won’t be able to do the weight tomorrow!” So I thought it mightn’t be too bad but as it turned out, he was being very optimistic.

Ross probably got a little bit of a shock but it was actually the day before that he was crying, when I won the Grade One. It was great to have him there for my big win along with my dad, Michael. Dad drove me down and it was great to have them standing there when I was coming in. It’s always the people around you that mean the most to you, that have gone through everything with you and want to see you doing well. Dad drove me around the country for five years when I was pony racing: Donegal, Kerry, Cork, wherever I wanted. So you kind of feel like you’re repaying him.

The interest in horses comes from my mam, Patricia. She grew up hunting and that’s how we got into it. I have been keeping myself occupied the last month following the Ward Union Hunt, who I have hunted with for years. It’s not as exciting following them in the jeep but it passes the day. I grew up hunting from a young age thanks to Mam, hunting with Paul Carberry. I looked up to him — he was like God to me and still is. My brother Ian is a huntsman up the north and myself and Donagh Meyler, who’s a very close friend, went up there last week.

I have two sisters as well. Gemma used to work in Gordon’s but she’s in Peter Fahey’s now and she hunts with the Wards as well. Chloe is nearly a solicitor so she’s the only one of us with a bit of sense.

Andy Lynch, who trained Zabana, is my mam’s uncle. I learned to ride with Andy, grew up around his place. I keep my hunters in Andy’s home yard. I rode a winner for him in Thurles before Christmas. I rode winners for him years ago when he was training all Chris Jones’ horses but he just has the one mare at home now, Under Surveillance, and I got a great kick out of that. I know it was only a maiden hurdle but it was special to win it for him, after all the years going point-to-pointing with him.

My grandad, Brendan used to work in Fairyhouse doing the gallops and the last fence. My earliest memories of racing was going to Fairyhouse and standing at the last with him. I always like to ride winners there because it brings back those memories, with my grandad, watching Paul Carberry and Ross Geraghty who were my idols. You’d go into talk to them then after the race and you thought it was the best thing ever. My grandad is 88 now and he’s still watching every race, shouting at the TV and he loves it.

Dad has gotten big into the racing now but it’s my mam who gave me the passion for horses and is still doing everything for me. She cooks my breakfast, lunch and dinner, keeps me on the proper diet and I’d be lost without her. If it wasn’t for her, I’d say I wouldn’t be riding.

It’s important that I eat three meals a day and I have a good routine now. I go to a personal trainer in Kilmessan, I do a lot of running and it’s working well. When I was younger I used to starve myself because I knew no different. I’d lose seven or eight pounds, pig out and put it back on. It’s only in the last couple of years I’ve learned how to do it properly.

It’s healthier and you’re happier doing it properly. There’s nothing worse than losing seven or eight pounds every other day. It’s torture and you're just tipping around in a maiden hurdle or beginners’ chase. There’s no fun in that. You’re thick with everyone. You’re thick with your family. You don’t wanna talk to them. You’re down, you’re in bad form. So the rewards are there on the track and off it from doing it right.

Hardline was brilliant because I’ve missed out on three Grade Ones I could have rode. And to beat Ruby Walsh, who’s the best around, added to that, although I was a bit lucky as Getabird made a mistake at the last. I knew going down to the last I needed him to miss it and for me to have a flyer and land running and that’s what happened. Hardline is definitely an improving horse.

You have to enjoy days like that. If you’re not in the top five or six riders, those days don’t come around too often. Rides are hard got now, let alone winners. When I got by the line, it didn’t sink in for a couple of strides. Then Ruby said, “Well done Keith” and it dawned on me, “I’m actually after winning a Grade One.” Then Puppy said well done, and Donagh Meyler.

I’d be best friends with Donagh and it was a great thrill for the two of us to have our first Cheltenham Festival winners together last year. Winning the Cross-Country Chase on Tiger Roll was my best day in racing.

I’ll never forget watching Labaik winning the Supreme in 2017. I always had faith in him and was delighted that he did it but it was hard to watch, knowing I should have been on him but for my weight. That was a very tough time for me and I didn’t know if I’d ever ride again at that time. So to come back 12 months later and win on Tiger Roll was great. Then for him to win the Grand National was amazing and I had a great spin myself on Valseur Lido, who ran a fantastic race before tiring late on to finish eighth.

Tiger Roll is in great form at the moment. He’s fresh and well. I’m not sure what Gordon’s plans are. He might have a run over hurdles before March but I wouldn’t be worried if he didn’t because Cheltenham just lights him up. He’s won three times there and clearly loves the place. And no better man than Gordon to get him ready.

I rode Tiger Roll in the Clonmel Oil last year and he pulled up after a lap and a half. I came in after and Gordon said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I dunno, he didn’t want to go’ and Gordon said, ‘Ah sure we’ll train him for the banks races’ and I walked into the weigh room thinking, ‘My God, he’s not gonna be nice.’ Then he went to run in December in the banks race. I wanted to ride Bless The Wings but Gordon said no, to ride Tiger Roll as he’s be the one I’d be on in March. What could I say? But I’m thinking, ‘Ah God’ and Bless The Wings went and won with Davy Russell up. But Gordon kept saying ‘You’ll be on the right one in March’ and he was right. The man is some genius. I didn’t think Tiger Roll would take to the banks as well as he has but Gordon knew.

As well as being a brilliant trainer, Gordon is a great man and he has been so good to me, helping me and keeping a job for me, getting me back race-riding. Even now if I walked in a morning and said I couldn’t do a weight on any horse, it’d be no bother. He knows I struggle and he’s so supportive.

I can only ride from 11-4 to 11-12 — I’m only in an eight-pound bracket. The position I’m in with the weight, I know I’m never going to get loads of rides but I’m in a position at Gordon’s where I’m going to get good rides in good races, because a second or third string of Gordon’s has a chance, no matter what price it is.

I’d imagine I’ll have a few pounds to drop when I get back riding out but the good thing about breaking the cheek bone is that I couldn’t eat much the first few weeks. There’s a silver lining in everything.

I’m hoping to get back riding out this weekend or Monday and to be back for the Dublin Racing Festival. Chris Jones has been very good to me as well. I rode Noble Endeavour in the Becher Chase and he goes for the Irish Gold Cup so he’s one to look forward to. He’d have a good each-way chance in a huge race, so it’s great to look forward to.

And then there’ll be Cheltenham in March. I can’t wait.