Champion jockey Colin Keane returns to action at Bellewstown

Champion jockey Colin Keane returns to action at Bellewstown on Wednesday evening and will resume his battle with Billy Lee for the riders’ title.

Keane hurt his wrist in a fall at Roscommon last Monday but maintains his lead over Lee in this season’s table with 68 winners to 66. The triple-champion is 1-4 with some layers to retain his crown while Lee is a 3-1 shot.

Keane is wasting little time getting back into top-gear with seven rides, three more than his rival.

Smile Of Love for his boss Ger Lyons could be one to score for the leading jockey while he also teams up with Scarriff in the following handicap. With Shane Foley suspended, Keane’s services have been snapped up by Jessica Harrington for Stellarock in a maiden.

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However, the Aidan O’Brien pair Ark and Honeycomb could fight this out with the latter’s previous effort at Galway worth forgiving since she was struck into during the race.

O’Brien has endured an underwhelming classic campaign in 2022 with only Tuesday’s Oaks in the bag so far. The champion trainer has left half a dozen entries though in next month’s Cazoo St Leger at Doncaster. They make up almost half the entry left in the final classic of the English season and include the Dante third Bluegrass as well as the filly Emily Dickinson.

The Royal Ascot winner Changingoftheguard is one notable absentee from the 13 remaining in the Leger as is the Irish Derby winner Westover. Paddy Twomey’s French Claim, third to Westover at the Curragh, is however still in the mix.

Bookmaker reaction to Tuesday’s confirmation stage was to make Godolphin’s Goodwood winner, New London, an odds-on Leger favourite. The sponsors have installed Joseph O’Brien’s Amortentia as their favourite for this Saturday’s €100,000 Paddy Power Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh.

A total of 40 horses were left in the prestigious handicap at Tuesday’s forfeit stage with the Galway Mile winner Magic Chegaga also included. The Brian Duffy-trained mare has risen 6lbs in official ratings to a mark of 93 on the back of her memorable success at Ballybrit last month.

A trio of Group Three events at HQ on Saturday includes the Snow Fairy Stakes for which Magic Chegaga also has an entry, as does the one-time classic hope Limiti Di Greccio who features among 19 acceptors on Tuesday.

The filly trained by Paddy Twomey was an impressive Listed winner at the Curragh last October when getting the better of Tranquil Lady. She hasn’t raced since but holds a number of entries across Irish Champions Weekend including the Group One Coolmore Matron Stakes.

Ground conditions at the Curragh are currently good to firm with watering taking place.