Dorans Pride
Encyclopedia
Dorans Pride is an Irish thoroughbred racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

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Racing Career


Dorans Pride joined Michael Hourigan's yard in 1992 and was sold by the trainer to Tom Doran in February 1993, who gave the then nicknamed Padjo, his racing name. That season Dorans Pride won his only start in a bumper at Ballinrobe
Ballinrobe
-Early history:Dating back to 1390, Ballinrobe is said to be the oldest town in South Mayo. The registry of the Dominican friary of Athenry mentions the monastery de Roba, an Augustinian friary whose recently restored ruins are one of the historical landmarks of the town today...

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Hurdling beckoned and Hourigan opted to start Padjo in a maiden hurdle at the Listowel Festival. He won it easily. During his next three starts he finished only second in average company but when stepped up to handicap level he claimed what later proved his greatest scalp so far, subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...

 winner Imperial Call.

Not having contested any Graded race
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...

, Dorans Pride lined up for the 1994 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle as an unfancied 14-1 shot but was disputing second with the Nigel Twiston-Davies
Nigel Twiston-Davies
Nigel Twiston-Davies is a British racehorse trainer specialising in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables at Naunton, Gloucestershire....

-trained Corrouge when falling at the final hurdle.

The following season, Padjo return to Cheltenham festival to be sent the best backed Irish horse that week in the stayers hurdle and he won with ease to the delight of his many cheering punters who backed him. What Dorans Pride did over hurdles was a bonus as he went on to one of Ireland’s most prolific steeplechasers winning the Irish Gold Cup, Lexus Chase as it is known now. He also finished third as a novice in the 1997 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the following year he went off 9/4F for the Gold cup, only to finish third again to Cool Dawn.

He also had a tremendous record on the flat for a jump horse, winning the Leopardstown November handicap in 2000 and also finishing third at Royal Ascot in 2001. He also won a two flat races at the Curragh.
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