Enough of an established name to have been invited to the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) as far back as six years ago, Colin Keane nonetheless returns to Hong Kong in 2024 at a time when his stock has never been higher.
From his two previous visits for the prestigious competition, the 30-year-old has managed to familiarise himself with Happy Valley enough to have reached the winner’s enclosure on a couple of occasions and finished in the overall runner-up spot behind Silvestre de Sousa on his 2018 debut.
The Irishman is a record-breaker at home in terms of numbers of winners with a score of 141 set in 2021, an impressive total from a scene where there are many fewer opportunities and race meetings than in the likes of Great Britain and France.
Keane is also freshly minted as Irish Champion Jockey for the sixth time and his fifth in a row, passing the mark of his legendary compatriot Johnny Murtagh.
He is proud to have been given the call-up again for the competition on 4 December.
“I’m delighted to get the invitation to go back again for the international jockeys’ challenge after riding in it twice before Covid,” Keane said.
“It was a very unique experience with the racetrack in the middle of the city and a great atmosphere and occasion. I rode a winner on my first ride there in the first challenge race in 2018 and was lucky enough to win another leg in 2019.
“It would cap what has been a brilliant year if I could win it this time – I will be hoping I get the luck of the draw with the horses I get in the four races.”
The year Keane refers to includes some pretty major Group 1 victories, kicked off in May with White Birch in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup (2100m) in Ireland.
He later steered home Juddmonte’s smart filly Babouche to the G1 Phoenix Stakes (1200m) at the Curragh for long-standing boss Ger Lyons, for whom he was also in action when driving Magnum Force home in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (1000m) at Del Mar in the United States of America earlier this month.
Keane, a considered and no-nonsense individual, has also found himself in increased demand from trainers across the Irish Sea.
In 2022 he won his third Irish Classic when given the call-up from Ralph Beckett to partner Westover in the G1 Irish Derby (2400m). This European autumn, he was also picked out by British trainer David Menuisier to steer home his brilliant filly Tamfana in the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.
The County Meath man is certainly no fly-by-night story, but it appears many others are still just waking up to his talents.
Keane concluded: “It’s a privilege to get the invite again to round off such a great year, being champion in Ireland again and riding the big winners for the boss [Lyons], including another Breeders’ Cup success this month.”
By Tom Peacock
