Treble for Lee, supplied by weekend-winner McCreery Billy Lee completed a Punchestown treble today to move four winners clear in the jockeys’ championship, landing Punchestown’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap on Sanctijude (9/2) for Champions Weekend-winning trainer Willie McCreery. Lee, earlier successful on Paddy Twomey’s The Good Wife and Ross O’Sullivan’s Follow Me, chased the leaders on Sanctijude and having led a furlong out, held on for a half-length win from Neo Smart . The success moves Lee to 75 wins this season, four clear of Colin Keane, who was himself earlier on the mark on Back Straight. On Saturday, McCreery bagged Leopardstown’s €100,000 Autumn Fillies Handicap with Rebel Wave before his Jancis finished third in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes and, today, he reported “the race worked out perfectly for Sanctijude as they went a good pace early on and Billy was able to sit on her. She seemed to like that bit of ease in the ground. “I said to Michael Deegan (owner) half-way around that we’d find out whether she wants 1m1f or not, as they went a good gallop from the start, which seemed to suit her. She’s a consistent filly, if not a bit unlucky, as when she hits the front, she downs tools a little bit. “We’ll find something similar in the near future, now that the ground has come for her.” Quotes from Gary Carson
