That Cheltenham victory is the headline of this horse's career. It came just two months ago, and it reframes everything. A horse that wins 1 in 8 at Class 3 suddenly delivering at the very top of the sport suggests there may be more here than the everyday form figures reveal. The recent run of form backs that up: in the last six races, Donnacha has finished 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, and 1st. That is three wins and three places from six runs — a remarkable level of consistency for a horse at any stage of its career.
The conditions matter too. Donnacha has won 4 of 8 races on wet or muddy ground — exactly 50%, or 1 in every 2 races. Compare that to its overall win rate of 32% — roughly 1 in 3 — and you can see that when the rain comes, this horse improves significantly. Trainer Nigel Hawke, based in Devon at Stoodleigh, has had 9 winners this season and clearly knows how to place his horses well. Jockey James Davies has ridden Donnacha in 6 of its races, winning 2 of them — a 33% win rate together, which is a strong partnership by any measure.
At Exeter — a track practically on the yard's doorstep — Donnacha has won 2 from 4 races, making it a genuine course specialist there. After a 64-day break following the Cheltenham win, the horse returns fresh. An eight-year-old with this much form, a Class 1 win under its belt, and a love of wet ground is exactly the kind of horse that repays attention.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chepstow Galloping |
6 | 2 wins, 1 second, 1 third, 2 other | 27 Dec | 33.3% |
| Exeter Undulating |
4 | 2 wins, 2 seconds | 5 Dec | 50% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 third | 24 Jan | 33.3% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 win | 13 Jan | 100% |
| Carlisle Undulating |
1 | 1 third | 17 Oct | 0% |
| Bangor-on-Dee Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 10 Feb | 0% |
| Market Rasen Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 1 Dec | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 10 Feb | 0% |
| Ffos Las Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 28 Oct | 0% |