Robbie Colgan - a unique hat-trick of winners

Colgan hat-trick - who was the last jockey to achieve that feat?

Meath jockey Robbie Colgan completed a unique set of winners when he recorded a real hat-trick at Tipperary, Leopardstown and Ballinrobe in the last few days.

Maybe some racing expert will point out that I am incorrect, but I can't recall the last jockey to ride a winner over hurdles, on the flat and over fences in the space of five days.

The hurdles and fences would be usual enough, but to win a valuable flat race at Leopardstown in between the jump racing is a marvellous achievement for a jockey who probably doesn't get his fair share of the limelight.

The Summerhill man demonstrated his versatitlity with a double over the jumps and a smart winner on the flat at Leopardstown on Friday evening for Agher-based trainer Sheila Lavery.

Colgan partnered Magnetic North (14/1) to victory in a one-mile median auction maiden to the delight of the trainer.

“He rode a hurdle winner last night (Thursday) and now on the flat — how cool is that!,” stated the trainer.

“I’ve been training five years and Robbie has been with me every day since I started, I kept asking him to lock his fridge and now he has,” she added in reference to the lighter weights on the flat.

At Tipperary on Thursday of last week Colgan was on board Guido Reni for Skerries trainer Karl Thornton to win a handicap hurdle in fine style.

He made it three in five days when taking a handicap chase at Ballinrobe on Monday for former Meath-based trainer Steve Mahon with Rocky Court which survived a final fence blunder to win.