Colin Keane paid his first visit to Britain since being appointed retained rider to Juddmonte, coming over especially to partner the organisation’s Lead Artist in a racecourse gallop on Newmarket’s July course on Wednesday morning.
Remarkably, the six-time Irish champion jockey was also paying his first visit to the July course to link up with the recent Group 1 Lockinge Stakes winner, who will be his opening ride of the royal meeting in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday for trainers John and Thady Gosden.
Nicely on top at the finish of a seven-and-a-half-furlong exercise with Torito (Kieran O’Neill), Lead Artist is the 6-1 third favourite for the Queen Anne and was ridden by Kieran Shoemark on his comeback at Sandown before Oisin Murphy took over in the Lockinge.
Keane, who is riding at Limerick on Wednesday evening, said: “I’ll be going where I’m told until I get a feel of things and I’ll be talking to Barry Mahon [Juddmonte’s racing manager] a lot. He’ll tell me where to go across Ireland, England and perhaps France the odd day as well.
“I’ll be busy enough and I’ll try to get around some of the places to ride some of the horses I haven’t sat on before, just like I have this morning.”
On Lead Artist, he added: “He was obviously very good in the Lockinge and he felt today like a very straightforward horse. He’s good-moving and I’m looking forward to Tuesday.
“Ascot is the pinnacle of our sport. It’s the place where everyone wants to go, including trainers, owners and jockeys, and I’m fortunate to have some nice rides this year.”
Lead Artist and Colin Keane exercise on the July course at Newmarket on WednesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker
Keane’s headline ride in the same colours on the opening day is the Gosdens’ Field Of Gold, who is 10-11 favourite to add the St James’s Palace Stakes to his Group 1 tally in a possible rematch with his 2,000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court and Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Henri Matisse.
The Gosdens are set to have a stong line-up of horses across the week at Royal Ascot, and John Gosden was pleased that Keane had been able to partner Lead Artist before the Queen Anne takes place.
“The idea was to get Colin over here for a sit on Lead Artist otherwise it’s a lot for jockeys to see these horses for the first time in the paddock at Ascot,” Gosden said.
“He’s a talented horseman and you don’t become champion jockey over there six times for nothing, as riding in Ireland is tough as they don’t give quarter to anyone.
“The travelling is demanding on a jockey, but I’m sure he’ll fit in very well when he gets to know all of the horses. I’m sure you’ll see him on Ryanair a lot.”
Colin Keane: was visiting the July course for the first timeCredit: Edward Whitaker
On Lead Artist, who is expected to be joined by stablemate Sardinian Warrior in the Queen Anne, Gosden said: “He got stuck in the ground when he was beaten on his first start at Sandown, when he was in need of the race, but is much more suited to what he will be running on at Ascot next week.
“The placed horses in the Lockinge are going to come on like Rosallion and Notable Speech. It’s as good a Queen Anne as I’ve seen in a long time.“
As for their other Ascot big guns, the Gosdens worked Gold Cup hope Sweet William (Robert Havlin) with Devil’s Advocate, while Ombudsman is in line for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes after his workout.
Gosden said: “We have Sweet William and Trawlerman in the Gold Cup which will be a tough race with Illinois in there. Sweet William will sharpen up for his work here today. They are different types of horse as one just bowls along and the other comes with a late run which means they’re not taking each other on.”
Queen Anne Stakes (2.30 Ascot, June 17)
William Hill: 5-2 Rosallion, 9-2 Dancing Gemini, Lead Artist, 6 Notable Speech, 7 Sardinian Warrior, 12 Lake Forest, 14 Diego Velazquez, 16 Carl Spackler, 20 Docklands, 25 Quddwah, 66 Cairo.
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