AFTER a dramatic Irish jockeys’ championship, which produced a duel to remember down to the final meetings of the year, 23-year-old Meathman Colin Keane was crowned new Irish champion jockey.

Keane was champion apprentice back in 2014 with 54 winners, and finished runner-up to Pat Smullen in the years to follow, but with the Ger Lyons yard in consistently top form this season, Keane never let his early season pace flag and a final day double saw him bring his total to 100 winners for the first time, 12 clear of Smullen.