Colin Keane© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane created history at the Curragh this afternoon when riding his 127th winner of the season, making him the winningmost rider in a Flat season in Ireland.
Having equalled Joseph O'Brien's record of 126 at Dundalk on Friday night it was only a matter of time before the dual champion jockey grabbed the record for himself. Power Under Me was the horse that gave him the breakthrough winner when running out a convincing victor in the Listed Waterford Testimonial Stakes.
The Ger Lyons-trained gelding went to post 15/8 favourite in the six furlong contest and travelled strongly on the heels of front-runner Strong Johnson in the early stages.
Keane sent his mount to the front over two furlongs from home and the result never looked in doubt as he galloped on strongly to record a two-and-three-parts-of-a-length win over Teresa Mendoza
The winning rider said afterwards:- “We've been getting close to it slowly but surely, I've had plenty of seconds in the last two weeks.
“It was great to level it for the boss and then to go and beat it for the boss is even better.
“It hasn't sunk in and probably won't until we start on zero next year and we're looking back on it.
“We try to beat every year's tally, we mightn't have a year like this again for a while so we'll appreciate it while it's here.”
Trainer Ger Lyons added:- "Colin is a credit to himself, his family and the whole racing industry.
“He's a fine example of what a champion jockey should be. He keeps himself to himself and lets his riding do the talking.
"You see Billy Lee going over to shake his hand after the race and that tells you all you need to know about the huge respect he has in the weighing room. He's just a genuinely good guy.
"The industry is full of people trying to make heroes out of x, y and z but Colin has done it his way, the old-fashioned way, his riding doing all the talking.
"Every winner he rides from now until the end of the season is going to be a record and, you know what, next season he will want to better whatever total he finishes with this season so he is going to keep us on our toes!"
