Doneraile’s Darragh O’Keeffe was the toast of racing fans in North Cork last week when he piloted ‘Heart Wood’ to win the Grade One Ryanair Chase on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival. Darragh and his eight-year-old mount had a brilliant run and held off the challenge of JP McManus’s ‘Jonbon’ to win by 10 lengths. Speaking after the win, Darragh said, “He jumped brilliant. I got into a great rhythm.” The horse was trained by Henry de Bromhead who said: “Darragh was brilliant on him. It was just one of those dream runs.
“He is a brilliant rider, we are so lucky to have him. He’s a real team player, he works harder than anyone and I’m delighted for him. He has given everything, a brilliant ride this week,” he added.
Darragh O’Keeffe began his professional riding career at the age of 18, and had his first win in Killarney on ‘William Du Berlais’, trained by Enda Bolger. The intervening years have seen Darragh secure many other wins, and he is now one of the most successful and in-demand National Hunt jockeys.