The golden highway of Dundalk could well prove to be the place Dylan Browne McMonagle recalls with fondness for the twist of fate that helped him become champion jockey for the first time.
The Donegal native is engaged in a duel with six-time champion Colin Keane for the crown.
Keane, juggling his role as retained rider for top owners Juddmonte at home and abroad with the quest to win a sixth consecutive jockeys’ title, has been turning the screw on the young pretender of late.
The gap between the two was down to five on Friday morning.
Browne McMonagle was due to head for Newmarket to ride Queen Of Hawaii in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile, but she was a non-runner come raceday and, instead, he diverted his attention to Dundalk on Friday evening.
A 351-1 treble ensued and Browne McMonagle now holds a handy lead of seven in the jockeys’ title race.
Diversion to Dundalk pays off
When his major mount at Newmarket was scratched on Friday morning, Browne McMonagle elected to remain at home and make his way instead to Dundalk, where the Friday night action has resumed for the winter months.
It’s a place he knows well and he ventured to the Co Louth venue with what he labelled ‘three decent chances’.
The only favourite of the three came in the middle leg, when he landed the Listed 7f contest on Andab at 11-10 for boss Joseph O’Brien.
The Piltown trainer also supplied the ammunition with the biggest-priced winner of the three, landing the 7f maiden on Jungle Ruler at 20-1, before the talented pilot completed the hat-trick in the mile handicap on Valorous Power at 7-1.
For full race results and upcoming fixtures at Dundalk and across Ireland, visit irishracing.com.
It all clicked says pacesetter
Since Keane committed to the role as Juddmonte’s top rider in the summer, his weighing room rivals have been afforded a chance to grab his title.
Browne McMonagle wasn’t the obvious candidate at that point, but with injuries to Billy Lee and the likes of Chris Hayes and Ben Coen unable to match his winner-rate, the 22-year-old is now in pole position with less than a month of the season remaining.
“I wasn’t expecting to be at Dundalk today, but when I got switched over I thought all three had great chances. Thankfully they all clicked – it’s been a good night at the office,” was his assessment of the treble on the Polytrack.
Ever since he made headlines on the pace racing circuit, Browne McMonagle has been touted for the very top.
He won the Dingle Derby when he was 12 and would end up with nearly 300 winners on the pony racing circuit, with his uncle, Adrian Browne, a key figure in shaping his career at that time.
He is now within touching distance of joining top names like Keane, Johnny Murtagh, Mick Kinane, Christy Roche, his boss O’Brien and the late, great Pat Smullen as champion Flat jockey in Ireland.
Keane issues Naas reminder
Any thoughts that Keane will relinquish his crown meekly are misplaced. He was at Newmarket on Friday, but joined Browne McMonagle at Naas across Saturday and Sunday.
It appeared both would leave the Kildare circuit winless, but the champion finally struck as Fleur De Chine defied odds of 22-1 to win the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bluebell Stakes for trainer Jessica Harrington on Sunday.
It was Keane’s final ride of a busy weekend, with his title rival back in sixth on Lemsairbat. Browne McMonagle had two more chances, but third on Comfort Zone in the Beggar’s End Handicap was the best he could manage.
The pair head for Roscommon on Monday afternoon, Browne McMonagle is booked for six rides on the card and Keane four, before they both rock up at Dundalk on Tuesday, with less than three weeks until the final meeting of the season at the Curragh on Sunday, November 2nd.
