is delighted to have been chosen to partner Field Of Gold in Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Keane, attached to the stable of Ger Lyons, has been champion jockey in Ireland for the past five seasons.
John and Thady Gosden have gone with local knowledge rather than booking a jockey from the UK after they decided to adopt a ‘best available’ policy following Field Of Gold’s defeat in the English Guineas when ridden by Kieran Shoemark.
Keane has already tasted Classic glory in the famous Juddmonte silks, having won the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Siskin for Lyons in 2020 and when he was booked by Ralph Beckett for Westover in the Irish Derby in 2022.
Field Of Gold (far side) was a fast-finishing second to Ruling Court at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)
“I’m delighted to be asked to ride him, he looks a very good ride going into the race, I’m very much looking forward to it,” said Keane.
“The Juddmonte colours are those that growing up watching racing, you know who they are. I’ve been very fortunate to win two Classics wearing them and a couple more Group Ones and I’m just delighted to be asked to ride the colt at the weekend.
“Winning the Irish Guineas a few years ago for Ger was one of my best days. It’s such a huge race and Juddmonte hadn’t long been in the yard, he was their first Group One together.
“To get a horse of Siskin’s calibre very early on was very special and for him to then go and win a Classic was very special, it was a brilliant day.”