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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Keane draws level with Lee on promising newcomer
Michael Graham
Keane draws level with Lee on promising newcomer
Paris Secret, far side, hits the front close home
© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane moved level with Billy Lee in the race for the jockeys' title with a victory on 28/1 newcomer Paris Secret in the opening juvenile fillies' maiden at Galway.
The Flat jockeys' championship ends on Sunday and Keane kicked his final week of the season off in good style as he brought up his 89th winner.
Front-running Boogie Woogie was off the bridle a long way from home but, to her credit, she kept toughing it out for Seamie Heffernan.
The pair were stalked into the straight by Astar and La Tulipe Noire with Paris Secret ridden in fourth.
Boogie Woogie was still boxing on deep into the final furlong but gave best close home as Zoffany filly Paris Secret came home best of all on this heavy ground to score by three parts of a length from Astar (13/8). The 10/11 favourite, Boogie Woogie, dropped another half a length to third.
Trainer Andrew Oliver said: "We were worried about greenness as she has never left the farm, so we just didn't know. She had worked well last week and we thought this was the place to start her as it was he last opportunity on grass, although we weren't worried about the all-weather either.
"She is a nice mover and hopefully is ground-versatile and obviously handled that.
"I liked when she came into the parade ring that her presence seemed to grow and she was nearly the pick of the paddock in her attitude and outlook. She jumped, travelled well, was green obviously and Colin gave her a lovely ride and she was doing her best work at the end."
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes