Billy Lee

Relatively unexposed in the competitive line-up for Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at The Curragh, the Zinlo Syndicate's City Of Memphis (Sioux Nation) stamped her class on the mile test to continue her upward trajectory. Beaten only once in her career so far when fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on this card 12 months ago, last month's G3 Mutamakina Stakes winner was the subject of support as the 2-1 joint-favourite and travelled easily under cover early. Launched by Billy Lee to subdue Carolina Jetstream (Pinatubo) inside the final furlong,...

Monday's Listed First Flier Stakes at The Curragh was stripped of key interest after the withdrawals of Star Prospect and Maria Quiteria, but still boasted a smart winner in Gary Matthews and Steve Weston's Velozee (Sioux Nation). Happy to wait while Ballydoyle's New Yorker (No Nay Never) pulled away his chance ahead, the Paddy Twomey-trained 4-1 joint-second favourite went by that 4-7 favourite and into the clear approaching the furlong pole for a 3 1/2-length defeat of What A Girl Wants (Persian Force). New Yorker paid for his exertions to...

Testing ground and stern opposition did for Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) in Saturday's Listed Gladness Stakes at The Curragh, with last year's winner Big Gossey (Gutaifan) putting all his considerable experience to full use. Aidan O'Brien seemed to suggest that it will be the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot rather than the 2,000 Guineas for Albert Einstein, who was sixth as the 11-10 favourite. "He's always been a very quick horse who finds it very hard to go slow," he said. "Ryan said his tempo was very strong straightaway and he...

Coming off an authoritative Cork maiden success, Bond Thoroughbred's Black Caviar Gold (Havana Grey) carried that momentum into Sunday's G3 Weld Park Stakes at The Curragh. Sent off the 4-1 joint-second favourite for the seven-furlong feature for two-year-old fillies, the Paddy Twomey-trained grey arrived under Billy Lee to overpower her peers a furlong from home and register a 2 3/4-length success from Pivotal Attack (Pinatubo). "I loved the way she put the race to bed well at Cork the last day and had come forward," Twomey said. "She was very...

Tom Marquand has been confirmed as the partner of Goodwood Cup hero and ante-post favourite Scandinavia (Justify), who is set to head a field of seven in Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger. With Ryan Moore on the sidelines and Wayne Lordan suspended, Sean Levey will partner dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona picks up the ride aboard Great Voltigeur fourth Stay True (Galileo). In addition to the Ballydoyle trio, Ireland is represented by Queen's Vase victor and Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett), who will be partnered by...

1st-Leopardstown, €20,000, Mdn, 7-10, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.11, gf. PHENOMENAL FILLY (IRE) (f, 2, Sioux Nation--Delhi {GB} {SP-Fr}, by High Chaparral {Ire}), fifth behind Ballydoyle's Composing in an often-informative Curragh maiden towards the end of last month, was sent straight to the front in this maiden won last year by the Group 1-placed Exactly and in 2021 by the eventual Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs. Kept company throughout by Thenandnow (Dubawi), the 5-2 second-favourite kept finding in the straight to beat that daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner...

There was a buzz surrounding the debut of City Of Memphis on Tuesday evening at Cork and the filly who topped last year's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up did not disappoint. Introduced by Paddy Twomey in the six-furlong maiden, the 8-13 favourite travelled easily under Billy Lee throughout before asserting her superiority in the final furlong. At the line, the Zinlo Syndicate's daughter of Sioux Nation who cost €370,000 had 2 3/4 lengths to spare over Too Darn Hot's fellow newcomer Bonus Time. A filly with a BIG future 💫 City...

Leopardstown's opening fillies' maiden on Wednesday has produced some luminaries in recent times and Robert Moran's Catalina Delcarpio (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) looks another as she surged to TDN Rising Stardom. Well-supported into 11-4 second favourite for the 10-furlong test, the Paddy Twomey-trained 400,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase tanked along in the hands of Billy Lee behind the leaders off the moderate pace. Full of running turning for home, the relative of the Oaks third High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) surged to the front upon command approaching...

Some of Ireland's top jockeys and trainers took part in a charity polo match hosted by the All Ireland Polo Club at Phoenix Park on Sunday. The event, sponsored by NFP, an Aon Company, and Matheson, raised vital funds for the Down Syndrome Centre and raised awareness for the Together Academy, two organisations committed to empowering children and young adults with Down syndrome. The matches featured jockeys Colin Keane, Gary Carroll, Sam Ewing, Jack Kennedy, Billy Lee and Keith Donoghue, with the trainers in opposition including Tony Martin, Gavin Cromwell,...

Henry de Bromhead trainee Term Of Endearment (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Miss You Too {GB}. by Montjeu {Ire}) accounted for Night Sparkle (Ire) (Postponed {Ire}) and River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in May's G3 Bronte Cup at York and doubled up in game fashion to lead home a repeat trifecta in Saturday's G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood. Positioned behind the leaders in fourth until well beyond the halfway mark in this 14-furlong stamina test, the 15-2 chance made continued headway in the straight to gain...

There are few people in this industry that you'll never hear a bad word spoken about. Ross O'Sullivan is one of those people. That is just about the greatest compliment that you can give a man who competes as fiercely, and successfully, as the trainer does. But something tells you that O'Sullivan would trade winning popularity contests for taking out big race prizes all day long and Royal Ascot would be a good place to start. The trainer has Warrior Brave (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) and Follow Me (Fr) (Shalaa...

Reappearing for the first time since finishing eighth in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown in September, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) showed she is a bright prospect for 2024 by taking Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud S. at The Curragh. Held up halfway down the field early by Billy Lee, the Willie McCreery-trained 8-1 shot swooped on the front a furlong from home in this contest registered as the Ridgewood Pearl and readily asserted for a 1 1/4-length success from Goldana (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}). The even-money...