Chapel Lane lands maiden success Billy Lee moved three winners ahead in the jockeys’ championship today, as he steered the Willie McCreery-trained Chapel Lane (3/1) to win Navan’s Book Your Hospitality Now For Navan Racing Festival Maiden. Held up in mid-field, Lee was patient on the 72-rated gelding who eventually found top gear to score by a head from Resurgence . It was Lee’s 69th success this term, moving him to three and eight-winners, respectively, ahead of previous champions Colin Keane and Dylan Browne McMonagle. Chapel Lane is out of a half-sister to Japan Cup-winner White Muzzle and afterwards McCreery reported “he is owned by Tom McParland and Joey Kirwan who are two good pals of mine, so I’m delighted. He is from a very good Airlie Stud family and is by Tamayuz who I like, and has sired (stablemate) Jancis. “He was bought cheaply (€22,000) because he was a rig but I thought he was good value and told the boys we’d have to be patient. “I went back for a maiden because he ran a good race in Killarney the last day and I thought he’d have the experience for a maiden at this time of year. He showed a good attitude and fought to the line.” Quotes from Gary Carson
