'I need every single bounce of the ball to go my way' - Darragh O'Keeffe in hot pursuit of Jack Kennedy as title race goes down to the wire

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Darragh O'Keeffe reckons he needs a "phenomenal" Punchestown festival to catch Jack Kennedy in the Irish jump jockeys' championship as he goes into the final six fixtures of the season trailing by five in his quest to land a first title. 

The 26-year-old has somehow managed to dig in over the last few months to keep himself in the hunt and he sneaked another winner at Tramore on Monday evening to move on to 94 for the season, but he is well aware of the magnitude of the task facing him at Punchestown with Kennedy sitting on 99. 

"I just wish there were a few more meetings at Tramore or Ballinrobe or somewhere like that this week," said O'Keeffe with a laugh. "We only have racing at Kilbeggan on Friday and that's it before the five days at Punchestown. It would have been nice to have a few more lesser meetings this week to try to catch Jack. I'm definitely up against it now.