Athlumney Hall, green, outguns Hayyel© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane is riding the crest of a wave at the minute and followed Classic glory on Friday evening with a 590.5/1 treble in Leopardstown today. Athlumney Hall was the final leg of the treble in the Leopardstown Handicap over a mile.
The four-year-old gelding fought out the honours with Hayyel in the final furlong but got up close home to prevail by half a length at 12/1. Passing Trade came home well for third, a further length away at 13/2.
Keane's father Gerry Keane trained the winner and said: “He was very backward as a three-year-old and has improved all through the winter. He’s a big baby.
“I think he’ll keep improving and he might get a bit further as well. He might make a hurdle horse down the road.
“We’ve about 12 horses in between the Flat and the jumps. Most of my work is pre-training for Ger (Lyons). We broke in about 50 yearlings for him and the backward ones come back to us to keep them ticking over rather than letting them off altogether.”
Keane's other winners came in the two Listed races on the card - Nickajack Cave (12/1) and Heliac (5/2f).
He was on board Lyons' Siskin who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Friday. He also had a winner on Kieran Cotter's Strong Johnson at the Curragh yesterday.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
