Irish Jockeys to Watch at the Ebor Festival One of Britain's most-loved Flat festivals begins on Wednesday afternoon as the Ebor Meeting at York gets underway. Four days of thrilling action lies ahead on the famous Knavesmire turf and we're looking at some Irish jockeys that may have their sights on York success this week. Colin Keane After missing Glorious Goodwood owing to a ban, Colin Keane will be more eager than ever to make up for lost time at York. It is of course Keane's first time going to the Ebor Festival the retained rider for the powerful Juddmonte operation, which provides him with some top rides for a host of leading trainers across Britain and Ireland — as opposed to his previous link up with Ger Lyons. Keane rides Kendall Roy for Katie McGivern in the opening race and the unbeaten Carmers for Paddy Twomey in the Great Voltigeur Stakes later in the afternoon. Later in the week he has Wojtek for Clive Cox in the Harry's Half Million By Goffs, Array for Andrew Balding and Juddmonte in the Clipper Handicap and This Songisforyou in the Sky Bet Handicap for Emmet Mullins to look forward to. Dylan McMonagle It was a stellar weekend for Dylan McMonagle as he enjoyed an 877/1 four-timer at the Curragh on Saturday before making his way to Tramore to score on Tounsivator for Willie Mullins later in the evening. He should team up with Joseph O'Brien this week in York but his first taste of action looks set to be on Thrice for Aidan O'Brien in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes on Wednesday afternoon. The Wootton Bassett colt won the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes over 1m2f at the Curragh in May and was beaten just over four-lengths behind re-opposing stablemate Lambourn in the Irish Derby back at the Co Kildare venue in June on his only run since. Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien will send a stellar squad to York across all four days. That's evidenced early on, with the Ballydoyle supremo accounting for four runners in the Great Voltigeur Stakes. Lambourn has won the English and Irish Derbys on his two most recent starts and looks the one to beat. O'Brien is also saddling Mount Kilimanjaro, Stay True & Thrice. Wayne Lordan is a major component in the Ballydoyle wheel and he's booked to ride Stay True in the Group 2 contest over a mile-and-a-half. This Galileo colt only has two runs behind him. He won a Leopardstown maiden (1m2f, good) on debut in April and has since finished second in the Lingfield Derby Trial behind Puppet Master in May. Many observers had him down as an unlucky loser in that race and, off a break, he's an interesting contender for Lordan going to York in the colours of Westerberg and the Coolmore operation. Later on day one, look out for Lordan partnering Almuhit in the Sky Bet Stayers Handicap over two-miles. This time he's riding for trainer Faye Bramley on a horse with a couple of wins at Newbury over this sort of trip since June before a solid second at Ascot during the Shergar Cup this month. He's been nudged up 2lb in the ratings for that effort but is clearly thriving and gets this trip well.
