Jockey Profile

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From Taghmon, County Wexford, Sean began his career in the amateur ranks and as an 18-year-old, rode his first winner, Cordovan Brown at Punchestown in October, 2017. It was only his second ride. He rode three winners as an amateur and his career really took off when he turned professional in August of the following year. 

Sean wasted little time in quickly establishing himself as a leading conditional jockey. He won the Matheson Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival on the Gordon Elliott-trained Eclair De Beaufeu in February, 2020 and ended that season with a fine tally of 27 winners as he took third place in the conditional jockeys' championship. 

Sean notched up his 60th winner and rode out his claim when taking the Cork Grand National on the John Ryan-trained Dromore Lad at the Mallow venue on Sunday, November 1, 2020. 

Sean rode his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when partnering the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs to win the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle in 2021. It was a famous victory as it was the 23rd Irish-trained winner at the 2021 Festival (a record at the time) and it also secured an eighth Cheltenham Festival leading trainer title for Mullins, the Festival's all-time leading trainer. Sean also rode a winner for Mullins at the festival the following year when landing the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices´ Hurdle on The Nice Guy. 

Sean rode two doubles as a 7lbs claimer and had lost his claim well in advance of riding his first treble at Sligo in September 2021. The second treble of his career was far more high profile and he shared it with champion trainer Willie Mullins. At Cork on Sunday, December 5, 2021, O'Keeffe and Mullins combined to win a two-mile maiden hurdle with Dysart Dynamo and also won the Grade 2 O'Flynn Group Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase with Concertista and the Grade 2 Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase with Energumene. They were the jockey's first winners at Grade 2 level.