Colin Keane has reignited the jockeys’ championship battle, cutting Dylan Browne McMonagle’s lead to just two winners after a sensational run of form last week.
The Trim rider began with victory at Punchestown on Tuesday, guiding Ger Lyons’ La Fogata from last to first to take the opening fillies’ maiden. That success was quickly followed by a treble at Naas on Thursday, where he partnered Michael O’Callaghan’s Luna Mia and Roaring Fire to wins before completing the hat-trick on Noel Meade’s Madbadanddangerous.
Keane struck again at Dundalk on Friday with a double aboard Lyons’ By The Lake and O’Callaghan’s Strait And Narrow, and capped his week in style on Saturday when Juddmonte’s homebred Faiyum stormed to a seven-length victory in the Group 3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Stakes at Gowran Park.
That win was Keane’s seventh in six days, leaving him just two behind long-time leader Browne McMonagle in the race for the title.
Elsewhere, Gavin Cromwell and conditional jockey Eoin Staples combined for a double at Downpatrick on Friday, while Cian Collins and Jordan Gainford teamed up to land the near three-mile handicap chase with Solly Attwell. Noel Meade and Donagh Meyler also enjoyed success with Mickey Cohen in the beginners’ chase.
At Navan on Saturday, Kells amateur Eoghan Finegan was on the scoresheet aboard Gerry Keane’s Ragmans Corner in the two-mile handicap hurdle, before partnering Pat Collins’ Casterly Rock to a narrow win in the concluding bumper at Listowel on Sunday. Cromwell and Staples were also back in the winner’s enclosure there with Pampar Lady.
Upcoming Fixtures
- Listowel – Tuesday, Sept 23 (2.20pm), Wednesday, Sept 24 (2.05pm), Thursday, Sept 25 (2.15pm), Friday, Sept 26 (1.37pm), Saturday, Sept 27 (2.10pm)
- Dundalk – Friday, Sept 26 (5.15pm)
- Curragh – Saturday, Sept 27 (1.25pm), Sunday, Sept 28 (1.30pm)
