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Colin Keane steers The Mourne Rambler to G1 Cheltenham bumper success – SportsNewsIreland SportsNewsIreland Live Scores


Champion flat jockey Colin Keane gave Ireland a fifth winner on Ladies Day at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

Keane and Noel Meade teamed up to win the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper – the final race on a seven-race programme – with The Mourne Rambler (15/2).

Owned by the Pollys, the five-year-old son of Well Chosen, raced to a two-and-three-quarter length success, on Keane’s first Cheltenham Festival ride.

English-trained horses filled the places as Mets Ta Ceinture (14/1) for Dan and Harry Skelton finished in the runner-up spot. Long time race leader, Bass Hunter (8/1), was a short-head further back in third place for Chris and Freddie Gordon.

Keane emulates his fellow Irishman Jamie Spencer as a flat jockey to win the Cheltenham bumper.

Reacting to his win, the 31-year-old multiple Group 1-winning rider admitted:

“Turning for home I thought, if we got a bit of room [we could win] – the one thing he was going to do was stay, and he had a bit of pace. I though he’d be in the three then.

“The crowds are a different level to what we’re used to. I know Ascot would be busy, but this is some atmosphere here. It was brilliant.

“When Noel [Meade, winning trainer] rang me two weeks ago, it was an easy ‘Yes’ if I could get the licence sorted. I probably didn’t think enough of it, but it worked out well.”


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