Irish Flat Championship: 'Dylan is the best rider in Ireland and I'm sticking to my guns' The Irish Flat Jockeys’ Championship is shaping up to be a fascinating contest as at the time of writing Colin Keane leads the way with 52 winners, Billy Lee has 51, and Dylan Browne McMonagle sits on 43. The trio all added to their winning tallies after a successful weekend at the Curragh. Despite trailing Keane by nine winners, last year’s champion jockey, Browne McMonagle, remains the odds-on favourite to take the title, which the Irish Angle team believe is down to his strength of rides for the remainder of the season. Browne McMonagle has firepower behind him Former jockey turned coach, Paddy Flood, tipped Dylan Browne McMonagle on the show at the start of the season and still believes the young rider can catch Colin Keane, he said: “I think he'll have the ammunition. We're really only halfway through the season. You look at those juveniles Joseph O’Brien keeps producing. “At Leopardstown, the three juvenile races all produced very good winners, and one outstanding winner. “Ger Lyons’ horses are hitting a nice bit of form and Colin is keeping the ball rolling, but he's riding winners for here, there and everywhere, whereas Dylan has his main man in Joseph. “It looks like there's no end to the number of horses Joseph has. All these first-time-out winners look well above average and I think they'll all win again. Keane and Lee may struggle to maintain momentum Flood feels the depth of quality in Joseph O'Brien's yard will ultimately swing the championship in Browne McMonagle's favour: “You just worry for Colin because the likes of Paul Flynn and the other trainers he's riding winners for might not have the same strength of ammunition at the back end of the year. “Billy is having a great season as well. He's riding very well, but it's the same thing. He's got Paddy Twomey and Willie McCreery, whereas Joseph probably has more horses than both of them combined. “For me, Dylan is the best rider in Ireland at the minute, and I'm sticking to my guns.” Emma Nagle commented on how short Browne McMonagle is to take the title as odds-on favourite: “I suppose that firepower behind Dylan is probably influencing the market. I was reading one earlier today: Dylan is 4/5, Billy is 11/8, and Colin Keane is 3/1. “It's an interesting one to follow throughout the year. I don't think there'll be much between them, and it could make for an exciting finish.” Watch the Irish Angle in Full Race replays are FREE to watch from all Irish tracks and a selection of premier British tracks sponsored by William Hill.
