Outstanding - Colin Keane after his 141st and final winner of the 2021 campaign© Photo Healy Racing
The last two races of a record breaking campaign saw Colin Keane combine with boss Ger Lyons for a 152/1 double. Half-an-hour on from Yaxeni s 33/1 win, Team Of Firsts justified 7/2 favouritism in the Congratulations To The 2021 Flat Champions Handicap at Naas.
Joseph O'Brien's record tally of 126 in 2013 has been well and truly bettered with Keane's astounding 141 for 2021.
With first-time blinkers on three-year-old Team Of Firsts was much too good for mainly older rivals. Kodiac Prince was best of the rest, but he was seven lengths down at the line in the silver medal position.
Said Shane Lyons afterwards: “We were disappointed with him the last day and this is what we thought he would do then.
“He relishes that ground, he's a very big horse. The blinkers helped only because he's still a little bit immature. He's not a horse that will need them next year.
“He'll have a nice winter now and he's a stakes horse for next year. We've always fancied him as a very good horse and he's growing into himself.”
(GC & EM)
