Chestnutter and Colin Keane (near side) with Ferrybank© Photo Healy Racing
Champion jockey Colin Keane followed up yesterday's first Royal Ascot success with another winner at Leopardstown today, scoring on 'last-chance-saloon' winning outsider Chestnutter (16/1) in the Awards & Gifts Handicap.
Four-time champion rider Keane steered Jessica Harrington's Villanova Queen to win yesterday's Kensington Palace Fillies Handicap and today was prominent throughout on Chestnutter, which finished well to beat Ferrybank by a short-head.
A relieved Meade, whose Keane-partnered Port Louis was beaten a nose in the earlier race, revealed “I thought she was beaten and I said to Derville (his wife) 'we're beat a head'. I was surprised they called a photo, but when we got out of the lift someone said 'well done' to me!”
He added “it was her last try - we took the blinkers, the tongue-tie, cross noseband and earplugs off her and I said 'go on on your own and we'll see what happens'.
“We had brought her to Limerick last week but I took her out because the ground went too soft, I said because it was her last run we'd make sure she had the ground she likes. Hopefully we'll be able to go and run her again, she can't go up too much for that. She's starting off a low base so she can try again.
“It's great, the lads (No Rush Man Syndicate) are from Clogherhead and they are with me a long time. Gary Aspell, who runs the syndicate, was saying he was coming under pressure!”
Quotes from Gary Carson
