Keane has the edge in big Galway race
Young Trim jockey Colin Keane (pictured) rode the biggest winner of his career when he landed the feature Topaz Mile at Galway this evening on board the Ger Lyons-trained Brendan Brackan.
This was Keane's first winner at Galway and he rides out for the Kiltale-based trainer six mornings a week and is the son of trainer Gerry Keane.
The Lyons horse turned the race into a procession and won by eight and a half lengths from Brog Deas with last year's winner, the Norman Ormiston-owned Vastonea in third place to make it the second night in-a-row that Meath horses finished first and third in the feature event.
Tony Martin, who won the big race on Monday night was also in the winners' enclosure again when 9/4 favourite Busted Tycoon added to her three wins over hurdles by landing the concluding handicap with Fran Berry on board again.
That takes Martin's tally of winners to three in two days.
Another Martin, Pat Martin who is based in Slane, was also on the mark when Andrew Thornton coaxed Footprint to victory in a handicap that produced a blanket finish.
All the returns for the second day were up on the 2012 totals with 18,248 patrons through the turnstiles as opposed to 14,058 12 months ago.
The Tote aggregate was €645,911.86, well up on last year's €595,706.28 and the bookies was €1,254,283 (€970,297 last year).
Meath horses in the big race tomorrow (The Galway Plate) include Muirhead (Noel Meade), Romanesco and Jamsie Hall (Gordon Elliott). Will two of those three be first and third?
There are four other Meath jockeys in action also - Jason Maguire, Robbie Power, Andrew Lynch and Barry Geraghty.
Conall Collier