The 2021 Flat season concludes at Naas Racecourse on Sunday with a record-breaking, Colin Keane is the Irish champion jockey for a third time.
At Naas on Sunday Donegal’s Dylan Browne McMonagle will be crowned champion apprentice. Aidan O'Brien and Mrs Sue Magnier are once again the champion trainer and champion owner respectively.
The title winner in 2017 and again last year, Keane enjoyed a clear lead in the jockeys’ championship from a very early stage of the season. In achieving his record tally, he notched up the fastest century of winners in late August and then bettered Joseph O’Brien’s 2013 total of 126 winners on October 10.
Keane’s season was also highlighted by his Group 1 success on the Noel Meade-trained Helvic Dream in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May.
Keane was a Group 2 winner on Aidan O'Brien’s Amhran Na Bhfiann, the Jack Davison-trained Mooneista and Atomic Jones, trained by Ger Lyons. His Group 3 haul included wins on Search For A Song and Tarnawa for Dermot Weld and Lyons’ Sacred Bridge and Maker Of Kings.
Sacred Bridge also won the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas and Keane and Lyons shared notable handicap success with Masen at Leopardstown on Longines Irish Champions Weekend.
Keane rode his first Group 1 winner for Aidan O'Brien when taking the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Broome in early July.
Keane rode 103 winners when second to Donnacha O'Brien in the championship in 2019, his previous highest total.
From Letterkenny, County Donegal, Dylan Browne McMonagle becomes champion apprentice at the end of a fine season that saw him ride his first Group winner, on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Baron Samedi in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April.
Browne’s first ride at that level. He enjoyed Listed race success on O'Brien’s Mighty Blue at Gowran Park the following month and during the season, he rode at least one winner at 17 of the 20 racecourse he visited.
Dylan heads into the final weekend on 47 winners, 15 clear of Mikey Sheehy with Nathan Crosse, Sam Ewing and Joey Sheridan next on the list.
For the 24th time, Aidan O'Brien is Ireland’s champion trainer. A multiple Group/Grade 1 winner in Britain, France and America during the year, Aidan added the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas with Empress Josephine and the Juddmonte Irish Oaks with Snowfall to his domestic Classic haul and also won the Irish Champion Stakes with St Mark’s Basilica.
Mrs Sue Magnier is our champion owner once again. Mrs Magnier narrowly got the better of her fellow Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith to retain the title.
Suzanne Eade, interim Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said: “I have always been struck by the commitment and dedication of those working in our industry and my heartfelt thanks goes to each and every one whose extra efforts ensured that that the impact of Covid-19 on the 2021 Flat season was kept to a minimum.
“Having owners back on the racecourse from early June was a huge boost to us all as was the return of racegoers ahead of a thrilling two days at Leopardstown and the Curragh for Longines Irish Champions Weekend.
“As we crown our champions this weekend, Colin Keane deserves special mention for breaking a number of records during the course of the season, he goes to Dundalk this evening with 139 winners to his name, a remarkable number.
“While our season wraps up on Sunday, I look forward to the international competition in the days ahead and I wish our runners heading to the Breeders’ Cup and the Melbourne Cup all the very best.”
