Billy Lee

Backing up a week after her impressive success in the five-furlong Listed Roses S. at York, Merry Fox Studs' homebred Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) upped her game again to capture Saturday's G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. at The Curragh. ] Held up towards the rear early by Billy Lee, the Paddy Twomey-trained 6-4 favourite was produced late as the 'TDN Rising Star' Apricot Twist (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) started to flag on the lead and her thrust proved strong enough to deny fellow closer Ocean Quest (Ire)...

The landscape of Irish racing has never been so competitive and, in an era where even the bigger handlers have admitted that trading horses has become a necessity to balance the books, Gillian Scott has bucked the trend by returning to the family yard in Limerick in a bid to get her training career off the ground.  A sister to the top-class Flat jockey Billy Lee, Scott spent seven years working in Australia where she rode trackwork for the Brisbane-based trainer Chris Munce before returning home to Ireland with her...

Highlighting a stellar training performance by Paddy Twomey, Team Valor's G2 Blandford S. winner La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}--La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) led home My Astra (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and stablemate Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her seasonal debut in Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Let go at 9-1 with the punters' confidence shaky, the bay tracked the clear leading pair early with Billy Lee showing the same unerring sense of timing he had in...

Haras de Saint Pair's evergreen 5-year-old mare Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Pearl Banks {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}), who posted runner-up finishes in last term's G1 Matron S. and G1 Prix de la Foret, went postward as the odds-on selection for Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud S. at The Curragh, but was made to fight for a narrow success by 25-1 outsider Emphatic Answer (Ire) (No Nay Never). The homebred bay, whose 2021 campaign yielded scores in the G3 Brownstown S. and G3 Fairy Bridge S., also ran sixth in November's...

The Irish 1000 Guineas will come too soon for Limiti Di Greccio (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), according to trainer Paddy Twomey, who is concentrating on the second half of the season with the exciting filly after she picked up "a minor training setback".  Limiti Di Greccio, winner of the Listed Staffordstown Stud S. last season, had been as short as 15-2 to provide Twomey with a breakthrough Classic success at the Curragh on Sunday. Twomey explained, "She picked up a minor training setback and is not ready to run at the...

The Curragh's Staffordstown Stud S. looked a listed race in name only on Sunday and it duly produced a winner who could be destined for the top in Martin Schwartz's Limiti Di Greccio (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}). Successful in a seven-furlong Leopardstown maiden Aug. 12 and runner-up in the Sept. 11 Listed Ingabelle S. back over that course and distance since joining Paddy Twomey from Andrew Kinsella, the bay raced towards the rear of mid-division early against the rail under Billy Lee. Running into a pocket two out and again at...

It was a case up heads up, heads down at the close of the G2 Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford S. at The Curragh on Sunday with the 3-year-old La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) enjoying the rub of the green to shade it from Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). On a weekend replete with close finishes, Team Valor's 16-5 shot needed all of the 10 furlongs to reel in Ballydoyle's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine but there was just enough yardage to overhaul that 6-5 favourite...

Coming into Saturday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks S. with a growing reputation, Team Valor's La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) only served to enhance it significantly as she ruled with an iron fist in the Cork feature. Runner-up to the re-opposing Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah) in the June 23 Listed Naas Oaks Trial before dominating a conditions event over 11 furlongs at Killarney July 12, the 2-1 favourite was always travelling enthusiastically behind the front pair and when given her head by Billy Lee...

In total command throughout Saturday's G2 Lanwades Stud S. at The Curragh, Renzo Forni's Epona Plays (Ire) (Australia {GB}) made it a third group win in her last four starts as she dominated under an enterprising ride from Billy Lee. Earning this step up after successes in the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran Park in September and the G3 Park Express S. at Naas Mar. 28, the 9-2 shot was always comfortable in front en route to a four-length...

Runner-up to the subsequent G2 Beresford S. third Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) in an extended seven-furlong conditions event at Roscommon last time Aug. 18, The London Racing Partnership's Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) stepped up to spring a surprise in Sunday's G3 Weld Park S. at The Curragh. In training with Noel Meade who is best known for his exploits in the jumping sphere, the 12-1 shot was held up in rear early by Billy Lee and when given the green light inside the final two furlongs swamped Aunty Bridy (Ire)...

Overseas jockeys will be permitted to bypass Ireland's 14-day quarantine requirement to ride on Group 1 cards, with the Irish government granting an exemption for elite athletes and sportspeople ahead of Irish Champions Weekend next weekend. Irish jockeys traveling overseas to ride in Group 1s will also be exempt from quarantine upon return. "We have had a change in the government protocols concerning sportspeople and athletes published today, but it is very much on a case-by-case basis," confirmed Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Officer Brian Kavanagh. "It will be limited...

Olivier Peslier has picked up the mount on Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp, with regular rider Billy Lee set to stay in Ireland to avoid a two-week quarantine that would see him sit out Irish Champions Weekend. Dual Group 1 winner Romanised was second in this race last season. He won the G2 Minstrel S. on his 5-year-old debut in July before settling for fifth over heavy ground in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois on Aug. 16. "Romanised is heading...