Colin Keane

Colin Keane is set to become champion jockey in Ireland for the third time, following a record-breaking season. With the Irish Flat season set to conclude at Naas on Sunday, Keane is currently on 139 winners for the season. In August he passed the previous record of 126 set in 2013 by Joseph O'Brien. Aidan O'Brien will be crowned champion trainer for the 24th time, while Sue Magnier is the champion owner of 2021.  Dylan Browne McMonagle, a native of County Donegal, is set to be crowned champion apprentice. He...

After Saturday's exhilarating juvenile action at Doncaster and Saint-Cloud, Leopardstown pitched in late afternoon to offer up its own 2022 Classic hopeful in TDN Rising Star Duke de Sessa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the nine-furlong G3 Eyrefield S. Impressive over a mile at The Curragh when breaking his maiden Aug. 21, Newtown Anner Stud Farm's homebred had disappointed when sixth of seven over the same track dropping a furlong for the Sept. 12 G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and had a point to prove in a deep...

Irish racing's new jockey sensation Colin Keane bypassed Joseph O'Brien's Irish Flat Championship record of 126 winners in a season on Sunday when steering Power Under Me (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to success in the Listed Hatstone Solicitors Waterford Testimonial S. at The Curragh. Third before being promoted to second behind A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) in the G3 Lacken S. over this trip at Naas May 16, the bay was third tackling an extra furlong in the G2 Minstrel S. here July 18 and runner-up in the G3...

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane are the men of the moment in Ireland at present and the combination were in clover again on Monday as TDN Rising Star Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) recorded an impressive success in Fairyhouse's Listed Ballyhane Blenheim S. Handling soft ground with aplomb on his debut over this six-furlong trip at The Curragh Aug. 21, Juddmonte's homebred led at every step on this good-to-firm going en route to a 5 1/2-length success from Glengarra (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) as the 2-1 favourite. "He's a work in progress,"...

Fresh from winning the opening Listed Ingabelle S. on Saturday, Ger Lyons and Colin Keane combined to enjoy the perfect start to Leopardstown's Irish Champions Day when following up in the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. with Atomic Jones (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Owned by Sean Jones, David Spratt and Lynne Lyons, the bay who had won on his sole start in a seven-furlong maiden at The Curragh June 27 was restrained early from his low draw to race with two behind. Switched outside with three furlongs remaining, the 10-1...

Completing a group 3 double on The Curragh's Friday card for Juddmonte, Ger Lyons and Colin Keane, Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) took her impressive record to four-from-four in emphatic fashion in the Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. Coming into the six-furlong test off professional if less demonstrative displays in the five-furlong Listed Tipperary S. June 30 and the valuable Ballyhane S. at this distance at Naas Aug. 2, the homebred full-sister to Viadera (GB) belied any fears that she had reached an early plateau by raising her...

Three-time Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who won the G3 Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown on Aug. 5, will make her next start in the Sept. 11 G1 Irish Champion S. The winner of last year's G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Prix de l'Opera and the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, the chestnut has been in good order since her Ballyroan appearance. After the Irish Champion, the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 3 is His Highness The Aga Khan homebred's long-term goal. "A decision has been...

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred 2-year-old colt Duke de Sessa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) made good, and then some, on the promise of a fast-closing July 26 debut third over seven furlongs at Galway with a blistering performance upped to one mile for Saturday's Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Maiden at The Curragh. Finding cover along the fence in fifth after a sharp getaway, the 6-4 favourite cruised into contention on the bridle once past halfway and powered clear in hand once gaining an edge at the quarter-mile marker to easily...

Colin Keane had already steered Eclat de Lumiere to TDN Rising Stardom in The Curragh card's opening contest and repeated the dose to bring up a quickfire double aboard Juddmonte's 2-year-old colt Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the DMG Media Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs at the County Kildare venue. Breaking smartly and racing under a firm grip in a prominent third initially, the 15-8 favourite slipped to sixth when angled to the centre of the track at halfway and soon had matters in hand when swooping for...

She may have been a shade slowly into stride for Saturday's Irish Stallions Farms EBF Maiden at The Curragh, but Moyglare Stud Farm's 2-year-old filly Eclat de Lumiere (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was motoring at the business end of the seven-furlong contest to earn TDN Rising Star status with a degree of panache and become the 12th 'TDN Rising Star' for her sire. Overcoming a dawdling getaway and an unfavourable outside draw to track the leaders in sixth after the initial strides, the 7-2 chance made smooth headway into...

Leading up to Thursday's G3 Grant Thornton Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown, Dermot Weld raised concerns that star distaffer Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal)) may not be as forward as in previous years, but His Highness The Aga Khan's 5-year-old showed little sign of ring-rustiness and plundered the Foxrock card's 12-furlong feature by daylight. The homebred chestnut enjoyed a banner 2020 season, going unbeaten through a four-race campaign which included wins in the G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Sent postward as the heavily backed 1-2 favourite,...

Juddmonte's unbeaten 2-year-old filly Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), fresh from a career high in Tipperary's June 30 Listed Tipperary S., kept her perfect record intact with a game victory in Monday's €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas. 3rd-Naas, €300,000, Cond, 8-2, 2yo, 5f 205yT, 1:12.01, gd. SACRED BRIDGE (GB) (f, 2, Bated Breath {GB}--Sacred Shield {GB}, by Beat Hollow {GB}), backed up a June 23 debut score over course and distance with a career high dropping to five furlongs for Tipperary's Listed Tipperary S. on stakes bow...