Irish jockey Colin Keane stranded in Dubai ahead of Cheltenham Festival | Racing | Sport

The Middle East crisis has cast uncertainty over the Cheltenham Festival plans of a prominent Irish jockey. Numerous members of the racing community were in Dubai last weekend for Emirates Super Saturday, held at Meydan Racecourse. They had expected to return home on Sunday, but the joint US and Israeli strike on Iran on Saturday afternoon, followed by retaliatory missile attacks on Dubai and other Gulf areas, has resulted in all commercial flights to and from the region being grounded.

Six-time champion Irish flat jockey Colin Keane is among the racing personnel currently stranded in Dubai, alongside fellow leading riders Ryan Moore and Oisin Murphy, as well as Irish-based trainer Johnny Murtagh. Keane will be hoping flights from Dubai resume shortly, as he’s scheduled to ride the Noel Meade-trained The Mourne Rambler in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham next Wednesday.

He travelled to Dubai to ride his father Gerry’s Crystal Black in the Group Two Singspiel Stakes, with the eight year old finishing a disappointing eighth in a contest won by Rebel’s Romance.

Only last week, Keane revealed his unusual decision to compete in the sole flat race at the Cheltenham Festival, attempting to follow in the footsteps of Jamie Spencer, who claimed the 2007 renewal aboard Pizarro whilst a flat jockey.

His father Gerry, who remained in Ireland, told the Meath Chronicle that Keane initially mistook the rocket strikes on Dubai for an earthquake. “He thought it was an earthquake at first. A missile hit a hotel close to where he had been staying, so he moved out to Meydan, beside the racecourse, where it is safer, but he is concerned as to when he can get home.

“Luckily, we are able to keep in contact with him all the time, but it is very frightening. He could hear the loud explosions. We also have James Hyland out there, who went out with the horse.

“Colin was supposed to come back on Sunday, but the airport was closed. He travelled out on Tuesday. The horse flew out in January and is booked to come home on the 10th March. Hopefully by then things will be running normally.”

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, attended the €2.5 million Super Saturday meeting, and there are no significant concerns that the Middle East tensions might result in the cancellation of the €30 million Dubai World Cup scheduled for 28th March.

Johnny Murtagh ought to be occupied at the Curragh preparing his horses for the approaching flat racing season at home, yet he’s another individual stranded in Dubai, having fielded a runner on Saturday.

“Everybody from the racing community is here in Meydan, well, 90 per cent of those who came for Super Saturday. The place is packed with racing people, Irish, English, French, and we’re just holding tight,” he told the Irish Times.

“We don’t know how long we’re going to be stuck here. Airspace is all closed. People are saying it will open on Wednesday, but there’s loads of rumours, and we’re doing this, and doing that. We don’t know.

“There’s been no announcement from Dubai because they don’t probably know either. Stay inside, that’s basically what we’re told. I went down to the market there earlier to buy clothes and it’s quiet around the shopping centres. It seems a lot quieter than normal.

“There were explosions (during Saturday’s racing). You could see drones in the sky and explosions. Sheikh Mohammed turned up and I thought if he’s at the races it’s probably as safe as anywhere in Dubai. It just seemed to carry on as normal. It all doesn’t seem to be as big here as from what I’m hearing from people watching on TV at home.” The Cheltenham Festival kicks off on Tuesday, 10th March.