Colin Keane, Juddmonte’s retained rider, has been suspended for 14 days for breaching the whip rules and is set to miss the whole of Glorious Goodwood
The mount on top miler Field Of Gold on his next start is up for grabs after first-choice jockey Colin Keane was ruled out of Glorious Goodwood because of a huge whip ban.
Irish champion jockey Keane was appointed first jockey to the powerful Juddmonte Racing in the wake of Field Of Gold’s defeat in the 2,000 Guineas which led to Kieran Shoemark being dumped by trainers John and Thady Gosden. Keane took over on Field Of Gold for his successful tilt at the Irish 2,000 Guineas and was in the saddle again when he steered the colt to an impressive victory in the St James’s Palance Stakes at Royal Ascot.
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He subsequently said he had never sat on a horse as good as Field Of Gold who is due to make his next appearance in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, for which the grey is the odds–on favourite.
However Keane put himself out of contention for the ride when he went over the whip strike limit in riding a winner for his employers at Sandown on Friday, where he struck Windlord eight times.
He knew what was coming, acknowledging the following day, “I can’t blame anyone bar myself. It’s a learning curve. We’re used to eight at home and I can’t tell you the last time I was done for the stick, but they’re the rules.
“We know six is the amount over here but when I was in a ding-dong battle it just went out of my head unfortunately.”
Although his fate was sealed, Keane had to wait until Tuesday for official confirmation when the Whip Review Committee met to examine the offence.
It ruled: “Colin Keane, the rider of the winner Windlord, was found to have used his whip twice above the permitted level of six from one and a half furlongs out.
“Taking into account that this was a Class 1 race, the penalty in respect of the above permitted level was doubled. Therefore, he will be suspended for 14 days from Tuesday 22 July – Monday 4 August 2025 inclusive. He was also fined £350.”
The period of suspension covers not only the King George meeting at Ascot but all five days of Glorious Goodwood, one of the busiest periods in the calendar for big race riders like Keane.
The Gosden’s could now turn to former stable jockey William Buick unless Godolphin have a runner in the Group 1 race.
