Limerick's Billy Lee leads Irish Flat Jockey Championship as season reaches climax

LIMERICK jockey Billy Lee leads the Irish Flat Jockeys' Championship by a single winner from Colin Keane as their battle to be crowned champion jockey continues at Dundalk this Friday evening.

Ballingarry jockey Lee got the better of the exchanges at the Curragh on Wednesday to advance his season’s tally to 89 winners, but it is Keane who will be marginally busier on tomorrow’s all-weather card. He will be in action in all six races open to both men while the Limerickman has picked up five rides at the meeting which begins at 4.55pm.

The duo go head-to-head in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with Lee set to partner the Johnny Feane-trained Smullen's Pride as Keane sits up on newcomer Las Cuatro for Ger Lyons.

Lee was successful on James McAuley’s Tai Sing Yeh at the course last Friday night and he again teams up with the eight-year-old in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Handicap (5.30) in which Colin Keane rides the Francis Casey-trained Adam’s Angel for the first time.

Lee is onboard another of his recent winners, Mickey The Steel, for trainer Joe Murray in the William Hill Bet Boost Handicap (6pm) with Keane taking the mount on the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Warrior Brave, a horse that he has ridden on three previous occasions.

The Ger Lyons-trained Nel is Colin Keane’s mount in the Book Online At Dundalkstadium.com Maiden (6.30). Billy Lee sits out that race but both men are in action once again in the Christmas Party Nights Available Handicap (7pm) with Lyons’ joint top-weight Bucky Larson the mount of Keane while Lee teams up with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Barbapapa.

Both divisions of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap are confined to riders who have not ridden more than 10 winners since the opening day of the Flat season meaning that the championship battle resumes in the concluding Story Of Dundalk Book Handicap (8.30pm).

Colin Keane knows the Noel Meade-trained Sheishybrid well having won on her over a longer trip at Down Royal early last month while Lee also renews a winning partnership, on the Shark Hanlon-trained Fascinating Shadow. They were 33/1 winners over this course and distance in April.

The remaining Flat fixtures in the 2022 season are:
 
Galway – Monday, October 31
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 2
Dundalk – Friday, November 4
Naas – Sunday, November 6