Donoghue reflects on historic Velka Pardubicka success
Jockey hails "one of the best feelings I've ever had after a race"
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Keith Donoghue celebrates his historic success on Stumptown
Keith Donoghue has six Cheltenham Festival winners to his name but Sunday’s memorable Velká Pardubická success may just top the lot, writes Paul Martin.
Donoghue steered home Stumptown in the 135th running of the prestigious Czech showpiece, with Gavin Cromwell’s eight-year-old becoming the first Irish-trained winner in the race’s long history.
The 32-year-old jockey was draped in the Irish flag in the aftermath amid jubilant scenes for the Furze Bush Syndicate, who had travelled over for the occasion, making the moment all the sweeter.
“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had coming in after a race,” Donoghue said. “It’s up there with Cheltenham, if not a little bit better.
“It was a great atmosphere, they do it very well over there, the crowd wait around, it is the last race on the card.
“They have a big prizegiving, the horse comes out for the prizegiving and they have the first six jockeys up on a podium, they do it very differently over there but very well.
“The crowd was brilliant, there were people in the crowd singing ‘ole, ole, ole’, there were a lot of Irish and English there.
“It was a great atmosphere, a great occasion and it was brilliant to experience it.”
Donoghue gained his first experience of the 34-furlong, 31 obstacle course last year when he was well set with Coko Beach only to fall four from home.
Stumptown did not have it all his own way on this occasion, almost unseating Donoghue after only narrowly clearing Taxis Ditch, the fourth fence. But this race is a marathon not a sprint and the Dunshaughlin jockey recovered superbly.
“It went to plan A over the first three jumps, then after the fourth, the big Taxis, I was very lucky to stay on board,” he said.
“He stayed up, we regrouped, we had another few mistakes along the way but we always knew he would stay well.
“Stamina is his forte and he is a very laidback, lazy horse. Every time you get stuck into him, he gives you a little bit.
“I was a little bit worried at times but I was never really worried about my position as I knew he would stay and I knew it was a long run in."
This victory was the latest in a string of notable days Donoghue and Cromwell have enjoyed together, including the same horse’s triumph in March’s Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham.
That was Donoghue’s fifth win in that race, a Festival record, and a repeat performance in 2026 is already very much on the agenda.
“This race will take plenty out of him. It took three days to get there, it will take three days for him to get home,” he said.
“Cheltenham is his main aim, going back for the Cross Country, and I imagine he won’t be too busy before then.”
In the meantime, Donoghue will treasure having his name associated with Ireland’s first foray into the Pardubice winners’ enclosure.
“It is a very prestigious race so to win it is brilliant and to do it with Gavin means a lot,” he said.
“We went back to Prague in the evening, we had a bit of dinner and a bit of craic - but nothing too wild.
“The owners are a great bunch of lads, they are all from around Tralee. You couldn’t meet better lads then them and it is absolutely brilliant for them. They love their horses, they love racing and they loved the whole occasion. It couldn’t have happened to better people.”