Curragh 25 May 2024 Champion Jockey Colin Keane © Photo Healy Racing
Firm friends off the track, arch rivals on the track. When Ireland’s leading Flat jockeys step out of the weighing room, jollity and conviviality are cast aside as they head into the battle for the title.
The Irish Flat jockeys’ championship has provided great theatre in the past as we have witnessed gruelling and gritty fights to the end of the season.
Jockey Colin Keane is currently leading the Flat jockey championship in 2024 having been crowned Champion Jockey in Ireland for the past four years. Prior to that he took the title in 2017, with former jockey-turned-trainer, Donnacha O’Brien, landing the prize in 2018 and 2019.
In 2022, a memorable tussle ensued as Colin Keane and Billy Lee fought down to the wire, with Keane snatching glory.
So far this season Shane Foley, Ryan Moore and Dylan Brown McMonagle complete the top five.
McMonagle is considered the big threat with potential to usurp the established jockeys and he currently lies fifth in the table.
See statistics since 2000 for the leading Flat jockey championship here.
The Flat Jockey Championship is decided by the total number of winners a jockey rides in a season. This is different to the trainers’ title which is calculated on the most prize money won in a season.
The battle to ride the most winners in a season, in such a high-pressure environment, requires jockeys to adopt a relentless schedule in order to gain the crown.
Below are the current standings for the 2024 Flat season:
Colin Keane, from County Meath, burst onto the scene ten years ago when trainer Ger Lyons appointed him as his number one jockey. Keane’s talent became apparent when he began his ascent to the top, winning the leading apprentice title in 2014. He notched up a total of 54 winners in that season.
Keane, aged 29, almost doubled that number to secure 100 winners in 2017 which was enough to see off his peers and to be crowned winner of the Flat jockey championship.
It was from 2020 onwards that Keane began his unstoppable campaign to remain at the top and in 2021 he smashed Joseph O’Brien’s record, to secure the fastest ever 100 winners in an Irish Flat jockeys’ championship by August 28.
Keane’s Classic wins include; the Irish Derby in 2022 on Westover, the Irish 2000 Guineas in 2020 aboard Siskin and the Irish Oaks in 2020 on Even So.
Billy Lee is hot on the tail of Colin Keane this season. Lee, aged 38, rode 74 winners last season, finishing 18 behind Colin Keane.
It was in 2022 when an epic battle saw Lee record his best ever season with 89 winners to Keane’s 92 wins
Originally from County Limerick, Lee gained experience in pony racing before working as an apprentice to trainer Tommy Stack, for whom he also rode over jumps.
Fiesolana, trained by Willie McCreery, was his breakthrough horse and the talented mare won him four Group contests, including his inaugural Group 1 success in the Matron Stakes in 2014 in Leopardstown.
Lee’s successful partnership with Paddy Twomey and Ken Condon has also propelled his success in the saddle. Twomey has stated in the past that he feels his horses are in safe hands when Lee is on board as “he rarely makes mistakes”.
His other major victories include the Pretty Polly Stakes on Petite Coco in 2022, the Flying Five Stakes in 2023 aboard Moss Tucker and the Prix Jacques La Marois at Deauville aboard Romanised in 2019.
It was in 2020, that we were treated to a summer of high drama when it came to the Irish Flat jockey championship. Jockey Shane Foley, aged 36, was leading the way having recorded a sequence of wins in July and August and lay 20 wins ahead of nearest rival Colin Keane. However Keane showed his determination and dedication to fly to victory with Foley securing 92 wins to Keane’s 100.
Shane Foley's strongest partnership is with trainer Jessica Harrington who signed him up as her number one jockey in 2019. Prior to that, successful link ups with Michael Halford and Adrian Keately catapulted him towards the top of the jockeys championship.
Jockey Shane Foley Healy Racing© Photo Healy Racing
He is a top class jockey having ridden several Group winners but rather cruelly the Jockeys' title eludes him.
His major successes include the Irish 1000 Guineas aboard Jet Setting in 2016 and the Irish 2000 Guineas on Romanised in 2018.
At the age of 40, British jockey Ryan Moore is certainly not slowing down and is often referred to as the “best jockey in the world” thanks to his sparkling global victories.
Son of National Hunt trainer Gary Moore, Ryan started out his racing career with his father and his first ride was over hurdles at Towcester. He then moved to trainer Richard Hannon’s and became champion apprentice in 2003. He rode his first Group winner in 2004.
His first Group 1 victory came in the Juddmonte International at York in 2006 for Sir Michael Stoute aboard Notnowcato.
In 2006, 2008 and 2009, Moore took the British Flat jockeys’ championship.
As time rolled on, Moore began winning the most prestigious races all over the world and for the sake of family life decided to focus on quality over quantity.
In 2011, his partnership with Aidan O’Brien was forged and while the trainer’s son Joseph O’Brien, was riding the first string, he still rode plenty of winners for the Ballydoyle trainer. Moore is now the number one pick for O'Brien in major races. In Ireland, he finished 6th in the Irish Flat jockey championship in 2023 and he is currently positioned in 4th.
Moore’s glittering career includes: the Derby at Epsom three times aboard Ruler Of The World in 2013, Auguste Rodin in 2023 and City Of Troy in 2024; the Irish Derby twice aboard Auguste Rodin in 2023 and City Of Troy in 2024; the Melbourne Cup once in 2014 aboard Protectionist and the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe twice aboard Workforce in 2010 and Found in 2016.
Donegalman Dylan Brown McMonagle, at just 21 is the young talent who has rapidly climbed the table over the past few years and looks to be a big threat to the older rivals. In 2021, he was crowned Champion apprentice and last season, in 2023, he finished third in the standings, recording his best ever total.
Dylan began his career in pony racing winning the Dingle Derby twice before joining Joseph O’Brien in 2019. He credits the likes of Sir AP McCoy for offering him invaluable advice and he told irishracing.com that riding as many winners as he can is his main goal.
BARON SAMEDI and Dylan Browne McMonagle© Photo Healy Racing
In April 2021, his skills shone through when Dylan took his first ride in a Group race and emerged victorious aboard the Joseph O'Brien-trained Baron Samedi at Navan in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes. More recently, he rode an excellent race to win the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood for Michael O'Callaghan.
