COLIN Keane further fortified what is surely a now unassailable position at the head of the jockey’s championship as he reeled off a treble which included a taking success for the Ger Lyons juvenile Overcoming in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The enthralling battle between Keane and Pat Smullen, which has served up such a fine climax to the domestic flat season, ends this weekend with just last night’s Dundalk card and Sunday’s Naas fixture remaining for 2017. Keane’s latest treble pushed him some 10 winners ahead of Smullen with just 16 races remaining in the season and a maiden title is now surely his.

Fresh from securing a maiden Group 1 success on Laganore in Italy last Sunday, Keane struck first on Ger Lyons-trained Overcoming in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. This China Horse Club-owned son of Kodiac was all the better for his debut seventh behind Delano Roosevelt at Leopardstown in July and produced a display which bodes well for his prospects as a three-year-old.

The 4/1 chance had work to do from midfield as the runners turned for home but he picked up nicely when he was unleashed with a sustained effort on the outer over the last two furlongs. He swept by the previously placed Loving A Boom deep inside the distance to record a half-length triumph.

“Patience has paid off. He was just a bit weak when he first ran but he’s a horse we’ve liked and over the last month he’s been telling us that he has strengthened up,” declared Shane Lyons. “We felt that it would take a good one to beat him tonight and he’s a lovely horse to look forward to next year.”

Keane then teamed up with the free wheeling Bid Adieu (12/1) who landed the extended 10-furlong maiden. On his third outing, the Tom Cooper-trained and Andrew Brooks-owned gelding took quite a hold as he maintained a clear lead over the field for much of the race. Despite his early exertions, Bid Adieu had plenty left in reserve in the straight and he dug in gamely to pass the post with a length and a quarter to spare over Clear Skies.

“We tried to settle him in the last day at Gowran but he took too much out of himself on the heavy ground,” said Cooper. “He took a fair tug most of the way there and I didn’t think he would see it out but he must be a fair tool. He was bought to go juvenile hurdling by Mr Brooks and that is what he will do now – he jumps super. It’s more than likely he will go to England.”

Tom McCourt’s Ben Rumson has done his bit to aid Keane’s title push lately and the pair combined for their third win in just over a month in the second divide of the 45-65 rated mile and a half handicap. The patiently ridden 2/1 favourite began to scythe his way through the pack from the turn in and he finished strongly to pick off the Smullen-ridden High Kicker in the closing stages.

“We were hoping there would be some pace and they went a good gallop. Colin is riding with such confidence and he knows the horse so well too,” reflected Tom McCourt who trains the winner for Sarah and Sean Foran. “Colin said he really grabs a hold of the bit when he gets between horses and he’ll tip away up here for another while.”

A back to form Secret Wizard sprang a 25/1 surprise with an all the way success in a tightly contested mile handicap where just over a length covered the first six home. The four-year-old made the running for Ronan Whelan but was beset by a host of challengers from early in the straight. To his credit, Secret Wizard dealt with one rival after another and he contained the last gasp lunge of Tonkinese by a short-head.

“That was such a good ride from Ronan. I actually think that he’s better going right handed but he’s a horse with tons of talent even though he doesn’t always show it,” stated Sheila Lavery who trains the four-year-old for her brother John. “I think he’s at his best on fast ground and he’ll be kept in with a view to running in the Fast Track Qualifiers.”

Settle For Bay showed that he could be one with a future in better company as he ended a truncated season on a high in the three-year-old mile handicap. After winning at Leopardstown in early April, the Donagh O’Connor top-weight pulled up here on his next outing and he didn’t run again until September.

However, the 15/2 chance indicated that he was returning to form with a decent showing here last month and he progressed from that with a last furlong surge that enabled him to pip Cloudy Miss on the line. David Marnane trains the Rio De La Plata gelding for Maurice Casey and McGettigans Management Services JLT.

Shinko Princess (5/4) enjoyed a deserved change in fortune in the five-furlong maiden to give owner-trainer Christy Donoghue his first winner since July 2014. The 70-rated five-year-old had been placed in nine of her previous 13 starts and Declan McDonogh’s mount took advantage of a good opportunity to see off the front running Peace Officer over the course of the last furlong.

“Maybe the cheekpieces were a help to her. She’s disappointed us a few times but she likes nice ground. If there’s nothing for her over the coming weeks she’ll be back in the spring and we might try for blacktype with her at some stage,” reported Donoghue.

Dundalk regular Shake The Bucket (12/1), who is fast closing in on 100 career appearances, made it nine wins at this track in the first divide of the mile and a half handicap. Trained by Niall Madden for his daughter Sarah Ann and ridden by her brother, Tom, the 10-year-old nailed Tenth Amendment in the last stride.

“He’s a tough, genuine horse and he loves a battle. He worked well at the Curragh on Sunday and myself and Dad were happy coming here off that,” reported the jockey.

It was a night to remember for Galway-born rider Alan Glynn (19) as he registered the first success of his career aboard the vastly experienced Burren View Lady (16/1) in the apprentice handicap. Now a 12-time winner from 79 career starts, the seven-year-old blazed a trail in company with An Saighdiur and the pace setting duo were at least 10 lengths clear of the remainder at some point. In the straight Denis Hogan’s charge commendably maintained her effort to hold the staying on Timia by three-parts of a length. The Is That All Syndicate-owned winner could well have run the final race of her career.

ACTING STEWARDS

L. McFerran, Ms. M. Cosgrave, P. Molony, R. Macauley, M.F. O’Donoghue

HORSE TO FOLLOW

RED AVENGER: (D. English): This gelding has been well below his best lately but showed signs of a return to form when finishing fourth to Secret Wizard in the mile handicap. He could be set for another industrious winter campaign.