Colin Keane secures Irish Jockeys Championship following winner at Dundalk

It has been a cracking duel between two giants of the weighing room, Colin Keane and Billy Lee, as they both travelled across the island in search of winners. All in the hope of being crowned the champion jockey for the 21/22 season.

The race has saw both men juggle the lead throughout the summer, however with Lee being suspended for the final two fixtures of the season, for the misuse of the whip, the title all came down to an afternoon card at Dundalk Stadium.

Just adding to the Dowdallshill track's importance to this championship, the Limerick native's suspension was a result of a winner here back on October 21st when he steered Beleaguerment home in the William Hill Extra Places Every Day Handicap. Albeit in the stewards eyes this place was gained through excessive frequency of the whip.

He appealed the decision but this was upheld ahead of racing on Wednesday, meaning to have any hope of glory he would have needed a record day in Dundalk. All while hoping for Keane to go land next to no winners for the rest of the week.

Instead it was the man from county Meath that got a winner at the all weather track and it was fitting that it came on board a horse trained by his boss Ger Lyons.  

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In the opening race on the card, the duo linked up with Bucky Larson, in the one mile claiming race. The horse had run a few days earlier over course and distance in a handicap, finishing a close third behind the Denis Hogan trained Ransom. This saw him go to post as the hotly tipped 2/5 favourite.

Coming out of stall eight, the seven-year old gelding broke well and took up a nice position, settling into fourth spot on the outside in a race where Billy Lee and Sweeping Statement had made the running.

Lee's mount would eventually fade back and could only finish fifth, while back at the front a nice gap opened up for Bucky Larson in between the then leaders Priortise and Majestic Colt, as they turned for home.

Up the straight, Keane found much more in the tank than his rivals as he coasted to victory in the final furlong, taking the victory in the end by over lengths, in what was a very impressive showing.

That put Keane one ahead of his rival, but Lee did have a decent book of rides to come, with the rest of his mounts, bar one, trading at single digit figures. 

But as much as the talented jockey tried to close the gap, the closest he came was a third place finish aboard Beleaguerment, the horse which had ironically led to his ban.

After failing to score when ridding Alfalfa in the card's concluding race, Lee was forced to concede the title Keane after what was a titanic tussle.