Colin Keane (born 12 September 1994) is an Irish

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

who competes in

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

. He was Irish flat racing Champion Jockey in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Keane was born in

County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

and rode his first race winner at

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...

in December 2010. He became stable jockey for racehorse trainer Ger Lyons in 2014 and won the Irish apprentice jockeys' championship that year with 54 winners, having finished runner-up the previous season. Keane was runner-up to

Pat Smullen Patrick Joseph Smullen (22 May 1977 – 15 September 2020), was an Irish jockey who won the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey title nine times. In a career running from 1992 to 2018 he rode 1,845 winners in Ireland and 47 in Britain. Amongst hi ...

in the Irish jockeys' championship in 2015 and won his first championship in 2017 with a total of 100 winners. In 2019 he was runner-up in the championship to

Donnacha O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien (born 22 July 1998) is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey who competed in Flat racing. O'Brien is the son of multiple champion trainer Aidan O'Brien and brother of jockey and trainer Joseph O'Brien. Donnacha O'Brien ...

, with 103 winners to O'Brien's 111; this was the first season in which two jockeys both rode 100 winners in an Irish season. Keane won his second Irish champion jockeys' title in 2020 with 100 winners, ahead of Shane Foley who finished with 92 wins. Foley had led by 20 winners on 20 August but a run of success for Keane during September and October put him back in the lead and he maintained his advantage to the end of the season. In 2021 Keane achieved the fastest century of winners in an Irish flat jockeys' championship, riding his 100th winner on 28 August to beat the record set by Joseph O'Brien in 2013.

Juddmonte Farms Juddmonte Farms is a horse breeding farm, owned until his death on 12 January 2021 by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. National Thoroughbred Racing Association"Juddmonte Farms, Inc.", profile. Retrieved October 16, 2007. Overview J ...

announced in June 2025 that it had retained Keane as its principal rider in Great Britain, Ireland, and France.
'Irish Racing'', 9 June 2025.

Major wins

France *

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...

- (1) - '' Broome (2021)'' ---- Great Britain *

St James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot ...

- (1) - Field of Gold (2025) * Sun Chariot Stakes - (1) - Tamfana (2024) ---- Ireland *

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

- (1) - '' Westover (2022)'' *

Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it ...

- (2) - ''

Siskin The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words ''sisschen'', ''zeischen'', which are diminutive forms of Middle High German (''zîsec'') and Middle Low German (''ziseke'', ''sisek'') words, wit ...

(2020), Field Of Gold (2025)'' *

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it ...

- (1) - '' Even So (2020)'' * Matron Stakes - (1) - ''Champers Elysees (2020)'' *

Phoenix Stakes The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

- (2) - ''Siskin (2019), Babouche (2024)'' *

Tattersalls Gold Cup The Tattersalls Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards (2,1 ...

- (2) - ''

Helvic Dream Helvic Dream (foaled 12 March 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He won two minor races as a two-year-old in 2019 and made steady progress in the following year, taking the Group 3 International Stakes. In the spring of 2021 he made furt ...

(2021), White Birch (2024)'' * Flying Five Stakes - (1) - ''Ardhoomey (2016) '' ---- Italy *

Premio Lydia Tesio The Premio Lydia Tesio is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Capannelle over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

- (1) - ''Laganore (2017)'' ---- United States * Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint - (1) - '' Magnum Force (2024) '' *

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...

- (1) - '' Tarnawa (2020)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keane, Colin 1994 births Living people Irish jockeys Equestrians from County Meath