Major achievements for Colin Keane and Ger Lyons

RACING Fastest 100 and one thousand on the board

Champion jockey Colin Keane created his own piece of Irish racing history on Saturday where he recorded the fastest century of winners by a flat jockey in Ireland while trainer Ger Lyons recorded his 1,000th winner on Monday.

Colin Keane reached 100 winners for the season when taking the eight-furlong maiden on the Ger Lyons-trained Barretta at Navan

For good measure, Keane rounded off the day with a winner for another Meath trainer, Tom McCourt.

The 26-year-old Trim man has Joseph O'Brien’s record 126 winners in a season as his target after he reached three figures by steering 5/2 shot Barretta to a comfortable victory.

The winner was described by Shane Lyons as “our nap of the day”.

It is the fourth time Keane has ridden 100 or more winners in a flat season and Shane Lyons added - “We’re delighted that we were the ones to give Colin his ton up,"

"This horse was our nap of the day going racing as his work has improved in the last month.

"He’ll get a mile-and-a-quarter no problem.”

The champion jockey commented: “It’s a brilliant feeling and the year has been going great,"

"To hit a 100 in a full season is hard enough, so to do it so quickly is unbelievable really. It makes it that little bit extra special that it's for Ger and it’s his 999th winner," he added.

Keane brought up his double with a fine ride on the McCourt-trained Dollar Value in the concluding handicap.

He made all the running on the well-supported 9/2 chance and looked to have a little in reserve as he beat the Pat O’Donnell-trained Extensio by a length-and-a-quarter.

Gavin Cromwell was also a winner on the Navan card as the Gary Carroll-ridden Li Mu Bai led inside the final furlong to land the eight-furlong handicap.

Owned by the Chateauneuf Du Pape Syndicate, the 9/1 chance got the better of Ross O'Sullivan’s front-runner Monzoon to win by half-a-length with Michael Mulvany’s Red Heel the same margin away in third place.

Keane bettered Joseph O'Brien’s fastest century with his success on the Lyons-trained Barretta earlier in the day and now, as a trainer, O'Brien was among the winners himself as the Declan McDonogh-ridden Celestial Horizon took the 14-furlong handicap in great style.

ROSCOMMON

Ger Lyons enjoyed his 1,000th winner on Monday at Roscommon when the champion jockey steered Offiah first past the post in a handicap.

It has been a long journey since the first winner was achieved in Navan in October 1994 when Johnny Murtagh partnered Maelalong to victory.

Since that first success a consistent number of winners have come through his Kiltale base and he also was the first man to recognise the talent of a young apprentice from Trim - the now champion jockey.

While Keane set his own record at Navan on Saturday with the quickest 100 winners on the flat - he completed a treble at the Connacht track when also partnering winners for Dermot Weld and Noel Meade.

BELLEWSTOWN

Enfield trainer Nigel Slevin took the second division of the eight-furlong handicap with the Sam Ewing-ridden Ecliptic Moon on Tuesday of last week. In another tight finish, the 15/2 shot led in the final stride to pip the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Miss Florentine by a head with local trainers John McConnell, Matthew Smith, Luke Comer, James McAuley and Michael Mulvany supplying the next five horses to cross the line.

Tony Martin won the next handicap over the same distance with the Seamus Ross-owned Noble Seal. Gavin Ryan partnered the consistent 8/1 chance to beat Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker by half-a-length.

Matthew Smith got his turn as 9/2 chance No Thanks beat two Tom Gibney-trained runners to win the concluding qualified riders’ handicap

The Galway festival winner skipped nicely clear under Jody Townend over a furlong from the finish and came home three-parts-of-a-length to the good over 9/4 favourite Hannon with Great Bear, a second runner for Gibney, half-a-length away in third place.

Gavin Cromwell was quickly into his stride at Bellewstown on Wednesday where he won the first three races with horses ridden by Conor McNamara and Darragh O'Keeffe.

Cromwell and McNamara won the opening claiming hurdle with the Darren Cahill-owned Coulances. The 3/1 favourite scored a three-parts-of-a-length victory over the Paul Nolan-trained Emir De Rots and was subsequently the subject of 12 claims, with Paul Gilligan taking charge of the six-year-old.

O’Keeffe was in the saddle as 8/15 favourite Malina Girl took the auction maiden hurdle in the colours of the Wash Yer Hands Syndicate while McNamara helped himself to a second winner as the Sonny Achram-owned and bred Broken Ice completed the trainer’s treble when taking the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at odds of 4/1.

TIPPERARY

Keane rode his first winner of the week when taking the fillies’ maiden at Tipperary on Thursday on the Lyons-trained Panama Red.

The 7/2 chance was strong in the betting and justified the pre-race support when comfortably beating Aidan O'Brien’s 5/2 favourite History.

Matthew Smith enjoyed a notable success as the Frank Lynch-owned Master Matt won the Listed Abergwaun Stakes, a first winner at that level for apprentice Sam Ewing.

It made little difference that the 14/1 chance ran loose briefly before the race as he saw off the Joe Murphy-trained White Lavender by a neck with Johnny Murtagh’s 11/4 favourite in third place.

“I’m delighted for Frank Lynch. Sam is a good young lad and it’s great that he’s got a Listed winner there. Sam said he was flat out early on but he stays well. He’s entered up in a handicap on Longines Irish Champions Weekend so we’ll see," said Smith.

THE CURRAGH

Keane and Lyons recorded a couple of notable winners at the Curragh on Friday evening and Sacred Bridge stole the show with a terrific performance in the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes.

She maintained a fine unbeaten run from stable companion Geocentric and Shane Lyons was impressed with the successful 15/8 favourite.

“She was very impressive. We’ll freshen her up now and go for the Cheveley Park Stakes. As Colin says she has to step up again but why wouldn’t she? She’s a diamond and as Ger says that’s what we get up for in the morning.”

Acanella had earlier won the Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes for the Glenburnie team, the 16/1 chance got the better of last season’s Group 1 Matron Stakes winner Champers Elysees to score by half-a-length.

Dunshaughlin trainer Sarah Lynam saddled her first winner at the Curragh as Goodnight Girl took the six-furlong handicap at odds of 9/1.

Mikey Sheehy partnered the six-year-old to a half-length success over the Kieran Cotter-trained Lord Dudley to give the trainer’s uncle John Lynam his first winner as an owner.

DOWN ROYAL

Denise Foster introduced a promising juvenile hurdler in the shape of the Ray Stokes-owned Realist which easily won the three-year-old hurdle at Down Royal on Friday.

Bryan Cooper barely had to move on the 14/1 chance which beat the gambled-on 13/8 favourite Bell Ex One.

Cromwell took the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with the Darren Cahill-owned Dazzling Darren which was ridden by Conor Maxwell.

JOHN MCCONNELL

Monday was also a good day at the track for trainer John McConnell who had two winners at Cartmel in the UK and one winner at Downpatrick to make it a treble.

NEXT UP

Wednesday - Gowran Park (1.35pm).

Thursday - Dundalk (3pm); Clonmel (4.15pm).

Friday - Down Royal (3.45pm); Kilbeggan (4.05pm).

Saturday - Wexford (1.05pm); Navan (1.20pm).