Danoli
| Danoli | |
|---|---|
| Sire | The Parson |
| Grandsire | Aureole |
| Dam | Blaze Gold |
| Damsire | Arizona Duke |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 14 May 1988 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Francis Austin |
| Owner | Dan O'Neill |
| Trainer | Tom Foley |
| Record | 32:17-3-6 |
| Earnings | £330,661 |
| Major wins | |
|
Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle (1994) Aintree Hurdle (1994, 1995) Morgiana Hurdle (1994) Hatton's Grace Hurdle (1994) Red Mills Trial Hurdle (1996) Denny Gold Medal Chase (1996) Hennessy Gold Cup (1997) |
|
Danoli (14 May 1988 – April 2006) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for his successes in hurdle races although he also had success in steeplechases later in his career. Danoli was described as the most popular racehorse in Ireland during the 1990s, and was regarded as "the People's Champion". Danoli's successes were achieved despite the fact that his career was frequently disrupted by injury. He was noted for a rivalry with another Irish horse, Dorans Pride.
Danoli was a bay horse with a small white star and a white sock on his rear left foot. He was sired by the successful National Hunt stallion The Parson out of the mare Blaze Gold.
As a three-year-old gelding he was sent to the Goffs sales in June 1991, but failed to attract a buyer. He was subsequently acquired by Dan O'Neill and sent into training with Tom Foley at his stables near Bagenalstown in County Carlow. The horse was named by combining the name of his owner Dan O'Neill with that of his daughter, Olivia Among the jockeys to ride Danoli were Charlie Swan and Tommy Treacey.
Danoli began his career by running in National Hunt flat races (also known as "bumpers") in the 1992/1993 season. He was unbeaten in three starts, winning two races at Naas and one at Punchestown.
In the 1993/1994 season he began to race over hurdles and won his first two starts before he was beaten by Winter Belle at Leopardstown in December. Despite this defeat he was promoted to run against more experienced hurdlers in the Grade I Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardtown and finished second to the odds-on favourite Fortune and Fame. He was ten lengths clear of the other runners who included the Champion Hurdler Granville Again. Three weeks later at the same course he won the Deloitte and Touche Hurdle by ten lengths and was then sent to England to contest the Grade I Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He was a popular choice with the large Irish contingent and was sent off the 7/4 favourite against twenty-two opponents. Ridden by Charlie Swan he took the lead four hurdles from the finish and stayed on to win by two lengths from Corrouge. Describing the reaction of the crowd, George Ennor of the Racing Post wrote that "they cheered him down to the start, they cheered him as he started, they cheered more loudly as he took the lead, and they raised the roof as he passed the post in front." Having defeated the best of the English and Irish novices, Danoli next faced a much stronger field in the Aintree Hurdle a month later. He started 9/2 third favourite behind the newly crowned English champion Flakey Dove and Fortune and Fame. Swan tracked the leader Muse before going into the lead three hurdles from the finish. Danoli went into a clear lead and was never seriously challenged, winning by eight lengths from Mole Board, with Fortune and Fame third and Flakey Dove fifth.
...
Wikipedia