Keane levels with Lee, on 80

Colin Keane drew level with Bill Lee (80-80) at the head of the Jockeys Championship today, as the three-time champion ended a losing sequence to win Dundalk's Conrad Developments Handicap on Smile Of Love (5/1).

Both men are locked in 'have saddle, will travel' combat, with Keane today breaking a recent stalemate, and personal 25-race losing run, on Tamayuz-sired Smile Of Love.

Winning trainer Ger Lyons was represented by his brother and assistant Shane Lyons who said “we're delighted with that, she's a nice filly. We were going to go straight to the Cooley Stakes but she had a nice rating (88) so we said we'd take this in.

“She had a wide draw to overcome but, given what we think of her, we thought that Colin and herself would overcome that which they did.”

He added “she'll go straight to the Cooley Stakes now and hopefully can get a bit of black-type. She hasn't too many races under her belt and she'll improve. Colin said she's definitely one for the team next year as well.”

This season's Jockeys' Championship concludes at Naas on November 6.

Quotes from Gary Carson