Pride Of Donegal

The breakthrough came at Kempton Park in October 2025, and he followed that up with a second win at Wolverhampton in April 2026, both on all-weather tracks. What changed? The fitting of a visor — a piece of headgear designed to sharpen a horse's focus — seems to have made a real difference. Trainer Charlie Johnston has noted that it has helped concentrate his mind, and the results have backed that up: two comfortable wins in quick succession on the artificial surface. Johnston operates one of the most productive yards in Britain this season, with 128 winners already sent out from his Middleham Moor base in North Yorkshire, so when he identifies something that works with a horse, it tends to be worth paying attention to.

The path hasn't been entirely smooth since those wins, however. The handicapper — the official who adjusts a horse's weight burden to make races more competitive — reacted sharply to the Wolverhampton victory and pushed Pride of Donegal up the ratings, essentially making life harder for him almost immediately. Johnston admitted this forced his hand, sending the horse out quickly at Thirsk where he ran a creditable third, even if the turnaround was tighter than ideal. Pride of Donegal, by his trainer's own admission, takes his races fairly hard and typically benefits from a bit more time between them.

Looking ahead, the plan is a mile-and-a-half race at the Guineas meeting, stepping him up in distance. That is a significant test — he has yet to win at Class 4 level, the fourth tier of British racing, going 0 from 5 attempts there — but the all-weather form this spring suggests a horse whose confidence is growing. If the visor keeps doing its job and the extra distance suits, there is a reasonable case that the best of Pride of Donegal is still to come.