Double delight at Doncaster was just the job for Nolan
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 27 Jan 2026
Paul Nolan has had time to reflect on a tremendous day at Doncaster on Saturday, when he sent two runners over from his County Wexford base in Ireland and returned with two Grade Two winners.
Thedeviluno emerged as a serious player in the Albert Bartlett with a smooth victory in the River Don, while Feet Of A Dancer gave herself the option of a potential crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle with victory in the Yorkshire Rose.
“There’s always extra pressure when you go over with two due to the extra expense to do with travelling and staff away from home,” said Nolan, who was having his first ever runners on Town Moor.
“It’s not a punting thing, I was trying to pick the right races for my horses and felt they’d be better off there and it’s great when it comes off.
“Had those horses run in Ireland all the owners might not have turned up, but with it being in England they all made the effort and we were all on the same table for a couple of hours after racing celebrating before flying home.
“When you get to celebrate with friends there’s nothing better and you couldn’t really write it.”
Looking back on Thedeviluno’s win he said: “I think the first two are nice horses, I hope so anyway. We were disappointed when ours got beat at Navan the time before and if he hadn’t run there he might not have been such a big price.
“At the time Doctor Steinberg wasn’t viewed among Willie’s (Mullins) top novices, but he’s now favourite for a Grade One this weekend. His Gowran form worked out incredibly well with The Passing Wife winning easy and Skylight Hustle winning a Grade One.
“I thought it was a decent performance, they went a very strong pace for three miles on soft ground. Ours was dropped out and hit the line very strong and what is in his favour thinking of the Albert Bartlett is that he’s already seven, there’ll be plenty of five and six years, so that might come into play.”
Both horses were ridden by Sean O’Keeffe and Nolan was full of praise for his jockey.
“Sean was brilliant, it was like I had a joystick on him all day!” said Nolan.
“It was one of those days were things just went right in both races, they never made a mistake and were just always in the right place, he was so patient. The Doncaster straight is a long way and he didn’t get after them until he had to.
“With Feet Of A Dancer we have to decide between the Mares’ Hurdle or the Stayers’.
“We’ve taken on Wodhooh once getting weight and couldn’t beat her. It’s whether you dodge one horse, which I’m not a fan of, or take your chance in a wide-open Stayers’ getting the 7lb.
“The Stayers’ can throw up some strange results, so we’ve got some thinking to do.”
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