IAN Donoghue, who twice won the Huntsman’s Challenge at Punchestown, recorded his first success since his return to point-to-pointing when landing the open race for novice riders at the re-scheduled Ward Union meeting near Oldtown on Saturday after which he went to complete a first double.

Elder brother of National Hunt jockey Keith, who has twice won the cross-country chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Tiger Roll, Ian partnered two winners between the flags during his first stint in racing. In 2009, he took up a career in hunting, initially as first whip to the Louths and then as huntsman with the Co Downs.

During this time he also developed a successful interest in showing and while he now runs a breaking and pre-training yard in Clonalvy, Co Meath with his partner, Alana McGuinness, Ian, a grandnephew of former Ward huntsman Andy Lynch, is maintaining his connection with showing as he has a nice heavyweight for a client for the coming season.

“I’d like to have more but am really too busy as I ride out in the mornings for Gavin Cromwell and, if not up north with the Crawford brothers or schooling for Warren Ewing, I will most likely be at the gallops in Skryne or Lee Valley,” continued Ian, who, since September, is father to daughter Harley. “We have a bit of help here at the yard at the weekends or during the school holidays as my little brother Ross (14) comes in to ride.”

Donoghue’s first win on Sunday came on the William Durkan-owned and trained Screaming Colours while he brought his double up in the concluding older geldings’ maiden on Toast To Thomas. And credited with training this six-year-old Arakan grey was another well-known show horse rider and producer, P.J. Casey.

Two races for hunt members, both sponsored by LeasePlan, took place after Saturday’s point-to-point with Laura Ward landing the ladies’ contest on the flat while Graham Quinn was first home in the jumps’ race.