The above video shows footage of Michael Hourigans Dorans Pride winning the Hennessy Gold Cup in 1998.
He was ridden by Richard Dunwoody who then won the race the following year when aboard Florida Pearl.
Dorans Pride won an impressive 29 races on the track some of the races he won included:
Irish National Hunt Novice Hurdle Series Final (Listed) Punchestown
Lismullen (Gr 3) Naas
Bord na Gaeilge Christmas Hurdle (Gr 3) Leopardstown
Boyne EBF Hurdle (Gr 2) Punchestown
The Bonusprint Stayers Hurdle (Gr1) Cheltenham Festival
Hattons Grace Hurdle (Gr 1) Fairyhouse
Irish Field Novice Chase (Gr 3) Punchestown
Chiquita Drinmore Novice Chase (Gr 1) Fairyhouse
William Neville & Sons Novice Chase (Gr 3)
Scalp Novice Chase (Gr 2) Leopardstown
Powers Gold Cup (Gr 1) Fairyhouse
Guinness Kerry National Ext. Handicap Chase (Gr 2)
Morris Oil Chase (Gr 2) Clonmel (Four Times)
Hot Power Chase (Gr 1) Fairyhouse
Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup (Gr 1) Leopardstown
Ericsson Chase (Gr 2) Leopardstown
Proudstown Ext. Handicap Hurdle (Listed)
Result of 1998 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup
1st Dorans Pride
2nd Dun Belle - Dam of former pointer Back In Focus
3rd Anabatic - won two Ladies Open in 2001 (ridden by Mary Horgan)
4th Go Ballistic
Former Irish Pointers posted a big performance under Paul Carberry in winning the Welsh Grand National. A Nenagh maiden winner on his debut he was trained by Colin Bowe to win his maiden although many may wonder why the Monbeg name which is associated with the Doyle brothers is attached to this horse. He was owned by Eamon Doyle and at that time Donnchadh Doyle was working with Bowe so both team Doyle and team Bowe can take real credit for producing this youngster who has gone on to win a Coral Welsh National.
Florida pearl, one of the most high profile horses to have begun his career in Irish points died on Saturday 5th May at the age of 20.
The son of Florida Son began his career by landing a Lismore 4yo maiden under Tony Costello in 1996. He went on to win 16 times under rules including 4 victories in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown. He amassed over £800,000 in prize money and was retired in 2004.
He has spent his retirement at the Irish National Stud who revealed recently that the star chaser had been put down.
The Stud released a statement which is included below:-
We are saddened to inform you that on the evening of May 5th 2012 a decision was made on veterinary advice to euthanize Florida Pearl.
The twenty-year-old gelding, in residence at the Irish National Stud for five years, was diagnosed with a condition known as haemangisarcoma, a word deriving from "malignant cancer of the blood vessels". It is a rare condition which swiftly affects many organs once it spreads from its primary focus - in this case it originated in the spleen.
Florida Pearl was a firm favourite among visitors to the INS and earned his retirement after a career which contained Grade 1 wins in seven seasons. One of the greatest steeplechasers we have seen, his speed was also obvious in his Cheltenham Championship bumper success.
Out thanks and sympathies go to the O'Leary family and the Mullins family who have many memories to treasure.
