Billy Lee

Over the last number of years I have built up a good association with Willie McCreery and it was nice to get another winner chalked up for him at Gowran Park last night.

I always feel that 50 is a good number of winners to ride in Ireland in a season and that will be my aim again this year. It was nice to edge one closer to that target.

The season has been going nicely and I’ve got good support from Willie, who I am with most mornings, and from Paddy Twomey, the Stack’s and Richard O’Brien.

It was great to be leading jockey at Galway for the week. The horses were running well for me at the beginning of the week but I didn’t get one over the line but it was great to get a double there on the Thursday and then to ride a Premier Handicap winner on the Friday for Willie Mullins as well. I’d have been happy to just get one winner out of the week so it really capped off a good week.

Ireland is a competitive field at the moment so you have to spread yourself about. You have to keep yourself busy and keep your name out there really. The last couple of years I’ve reached 50 winners and have had a few Group and Listed winners as well and they are important to get as they help raise the profile.

The Royal Ascot winner this year on Settle For Bay for David Marnane was fantastic. It was unfortunate that Donagh O’Connor picked up a suspension just before it and the ride was going spare but you would have never have dreamt it would work out the way it did. It was my second Royal Ascot winner but it certainly was much more appreciated than the first!

My first winner there was five years ago for Joanna Morgan and that is still as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday but I definitely took this one in a lot more. This one really sunk in straight away, just how big a deal it is to ride a winner there at Royal Ascot and it is not a place you can go to expecting to have many rides, never mind winners. The performance from the horse was pretty special.

I hadn’t ridden Settle For Bay before so I was just lucky to get on him. It isn’t to often you get a spare ride in a 30 runner handicap like that at Royal Ascot and go down to the furlong pole on the bridle. It was fairly surreal. A great feeling.

The aim is always to win a Group 1 so we’ll take it as it comes and with Willie there is always a chance one might pop up. We’ve got a good calibre of horse and hopefully one of them will pop up and become a stable star.

Willie gave me my first Group 1 winner on Fiesolana and she was definitely the best mare I’ve ever sat on. Agnes Stewart was another who would have been up there as the nicest two-year-old I’ve sat on in races and you are always on the look out for another one of them.

I did have a bit of a stint over hurdles but I think those days are behind me now! I really enjoyed riding over hurdles and it was something I said I’d give a go to. I just wanted to see what it was like to ride over hurdles but my weight sort of came under control then and the way the last couple of seasons have gone, I don’t think I’ll be going back to it now. The flat is too important for me to be messing at that now!

I can be my own worst enemy at times with the weight but if I keep on top of it, it’s fine and I have it well under control now. I do plenty of sweating but I don’t mind it I’m happy enough with the routine I have. It is easier to do it when you have nice horses to keep pushing you on. If you were just riding one or two every day with no chances it would be very hard but I’m in a lucky enough position that it is worth walking into the sauna for.

I’ve recently got an offer to go to Dubai for the winter so that will be my first time to do a full winter there. I was there before as an apprentice but at the end of this grass season in Ireland I will go down to join Helal Al Alawi. He had a very good season there last year and it is a very good job to get. Winners at tracks like Royal Ascot would put you in the shop window for that sort of job.

I was delighted to pick up the spare ride on Xenobia on Thursday evening at Leopardstown. She’s a lovely filly and it will be my first time to ride in the famous colours of Mr (George) Strawbridge so hopefully she will run well for Bill Farrell.

I was probably a bit unlucky on Ming in Arlington on Saturday night to not finish a bit closer, but he’ll be a grand horse for Joseph (O’Brien) to go travelling with for those type of races.

I think there’s a nice bunch of horses still to run for Willie McCreery this season and hopefully they can come to the fore and we can finish off the second half of the season with some nice winners.

This Sunday all roads lead to Croke Park though and hopefully the hurlers of Limerick can create their own piece of history. I was lucky enough to get two tickets so I can’t wait for that!