[5] He was subsequently acquired by Dan O'Neill and sent into training with Tom Foley at his stables near Bagenalstown in County Carlow.
Despite this defeat he was promoted to run against more experienced hurdlers in the Grade I Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and finished second to the odds-on favourite Fortune and Fame.
"[6] Having defeated the best of the English and Irish novices, Danoli next faced a much stronger field in the Aintree Hurdle a month later.
Danoli went into a clear lead and was never seriously challenged, winning by eight lengths from Mole Board, with Fortune and Fame third and Flakey Dove fifth.
He was always among the leaders and ran on gamely in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length from Boro Eight, with Large Action third and Doran's Pride fourth.
[9] Danoli returned from the race badly lame, and examinations revealed a fracture of the cannon bone in his right foreleg.
[2] After a hiatus of more than nine months, Danoli returned with his new regular jockey Tommy Treacy and finished third in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
[10] He attracted a record crowd to Gowran Park in February for the Red Mills Trial Hurdle and won by eight lengths.
At Leopardstown on Boxing Day he won his first major race over fences as he beat the English challenger Land Afar by seven lengths in the Denny Gold Medal Chase.
Ridden by Treacy, Danoli disputed the lead from the start and stayed on under pressure to win by one and a half lengths from Jodami.
In February 2000, now twelve years old, Danoli unseated Treacy in the Hennessy but then showed signs of returning form as he finished third to Micko's Dream at Naas and second to His Song in the Grade II Newlands Chase at Navan Racecourse.