Donoghue doubles up on Barnacullia

Keith Donoghue made it a quick-fire double at Galway when Barnacullia sprang a 25/1 shock in the seven runner novice chase.

His mount swept through to inner to pick off Alko Rouge upon landing after the last where the tracking Guily Billy took a fall.

Barnacullia was strong on the long uphill climb for home and was always holding Punitive and Broomfields Jeremy the latter cracked first in the closing stages and dropped to third at 12/1. Barnacullia kept on well along the stands' side to contain runner-up Punitive (12/1) by a length and a quarter.

Donoghue took the preceding race on 15/8 joint favourite Path D'oroux The double paid almost 74/1.

“We were a bit disappointed the last day with the way he jumped and we've done a good bit of schooling since, Keith rode him the other day,” said trainer Michael Mulvany.

“He's been a work in progress but we knew he was back in good form. He's learning on the job and hopefully it's onwards and upwards for him now.

“We haven't anything planned but the handicapper isn't going to give him too low a mark after that, hopefully he won't be too hard.

“Potentially he's a very nice horse, he's a big strong horse and he's only just coming to himself.

“He handles that bit of ease in the ground. He was third in a Grade 3 last year.

“I made a mistake of running him in heavy ground last year in Limerick and it bottomed him out. He's been a little bit slower than we thought getting a hang of the jumping.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson