Champion Keane scores on La Cumparsita

Freshly minted Champion Jockey Colin Keane was on the mark again at Dundalk this evening as he steered the John Murphy trained La Cumparsita to an unlikely success in a dramatic three-way finish to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Handicap (div 1).

Keane memorably finished the flat season on 100 winners at Naas on November 4 and this evening produced the daughter of Papal Bull with a late challenge on the outer, inside the final furlong. Burren View Lady held the lead until the last strides as both La Cumparsita and eventual runner-up Goodnight Irina flashed home in a photo-finish. La Cumparsita, which was the outsider in the photo-finish market at 5/1 on Betfair, was later confirmed the ‘nose’ and ‘short-head’ winner.

George Murphy, son and assistant to his father John, later commented “I thought Pat Martin's horse (Goodnite irina) was after getting it in the middle!

“She (La Cumparsita) was very green on the outside and she's only learning how to race now. It's nice to get her head in front and we'll look for something similar. We'll give her a fortnight or three weeks and come back and she'll keep going for the winter.”

Quotes from Gary Carson