So it’s congratulations to Colin Keane who will be crowned Ireland’s Champion Jockey once more when end-of-season prize-giving takes place at Naas on Sunday.
He’ll look back on 2022 as the year he also claimed a first Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Westover but Keane, whose talent in the saddle is matched by his affability and intelligence off it, will also look back on a year when Billy Lee gave him the fright of his life.
Lee and Keane are good friends and both will, one suspects, be sad the final roll of the dice that pushed the pendulum Keane’s way decisively came in the Stewards Room - with Lee failing in an appeal against a ban which means Keane effectively gets a two-meeting lap of honour at Dundalk on Friday and then Naas at the weekend.
The depth of talent in Ireland’s jockeys' room has probably never been deeper, and both Keane and Lee grew up in the sport with parents as trainers - Keane's win on Westover was his third Classic success on a CV that also includes a 2020 Breeders Cup Turf, memorably on Tarnawa.
In one memorable year Billy Lee has doubled his Group 1 tally, adding to Fiesolana for Willie McCreery and Romanised for Ken Condon by two for Paddy Twomey: La Petite Coco in the Pretty Polly Stakes and Pearls Galore in the Matron.
Lee, who like Keane is impressively articulate, was 20/1 or bigger to be Champion at the start of the season and his success has been founded on the 'have saddle, will travel' philosophy, riding out for trainers all over Ireland and securing rides from them.
Ireland has great depth to its riding talent, being a part of the team at Ballydoyle is no passport to the title as long as Ryan Moore keeps topping up his air miles - and the rising stars like Shane Cross, the remarkable Dylan Browne McMonagle, and the much-admired Chris Hayes know where the winners' enclosure is.
But Keane versus Lee in 2022 is one that will be long remembered - the right kind of rivalry between the two good friends.
It’ll also be remembered for the fact that one ride by Lee in a season where there have been hurdreds - from Galway to Gowran and Naas to Navan - found disfavour, and it ultimately proved decisive.
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