Lee A Rising Star In Irish Riding Ranks

Natural talent, determination, hard graft and a slice or two of good luck along the way are some of the key components to success in the saddle and jockey Billy Lee is now reaping the rewards of the commitment and effort he has put in over the last decade. The 31-year-old is not short of talent either and those talents have been put to good use by shrewd trainers like Tommy and Fozzy Stack, and in more recent seasons by the upwardly mobile Willie McCreery, whose rising tide has mirrored Lee's progress over the past three years. The pair combined to land a first Group 1 win for both when Fiesolana (Ire) (Aussie Rules) landed the G1 Coolmore Stud Matron S. at Leopardstown in 2014, the partnership having been forged the previous year when someone else's misfortune became Billy Lee's slice of luck.

“I'd just had a couple of rides for Willie at the time but unfortunately for Colm O'Donoghue, who had won on Fiesolana previously, he got a fall in Limerick and broke his collar bone and couldn't ride her in the Brownstown S. at Fairyhouse,” Lee said. “Luckily I got the call up to ride her and she won and I ended up riding her every time after bar once in France. She was a special mare to me as she was my first Group 1 winner and I got to ride her in a Breeders' Cup as well. She was so genuine and you could've set your clock by her.”

Fiesolana was owned for her Group 1 win by the Niarchos family's Flaxman Stables and the family have since increased their interests in McCreery's string, which has also benefited Lee through his association with horses like Liquid Amber (Kitten's Joy). The filly won the G3 Flame Of Tara S. at The Curragh last year and despite a slightly tame effort in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas she remains a filly of serious potential, particularly as she steps up in trip. That Guineas ride was Lee's first in an English Classic though he had gained experience of the Rowley Mile before when winning the G2 Dubai Challenge S. there aboard Fiesolana.

The jockey served his apprenticeship with Tommy Stack, for whom he rode his first winner in 2002. The following 10 years proved satisfactory and while Lee was averaging around 20 winners a year and winning his share of premier handicaps, he was rarely a fixture in the better races and, for even a brief period in 2005, when his weight wasn't playing ball, he toyed with the notion of riding over jumps. That stint earned him a win aboard the Stack-trained Wanango (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) in a listed hurdle at Haydock in 2005. However, a previously feared growth spurt never materialised and Lee's weight stabilised, allowing him to refocus his efforts on the level. “I was going okay on the flat and I thought it was too risky trying to establish myself over jumps. I figured if I got an injury riding over jumps I could be forgotten back on the flat very easily so I stuck with it, thankfully.”

In 2012, Lee recorded his highest number of winners up until then and it seemed to signal an elevation of his status towards the upper echelons in Ireland. He has maintained that progress to date, no doubt fueled by his association with a strong stable like McCreery's while also maintaining links with a broad spectrum of other trainers.

“I still do a morning a week with the Stacks, the same with Paddy Twomey and if I have time on a Saturday I pop into Richard O'Brien who is based down the road from me in Ballingarry. I'm doing up my family home there and will be moving back full time soon so it's important to keep the neighbours happy. Richard is also making great progress, he has a good routine and it's working for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he has twice the number of horses this time next year,” he said. No doubt O'Brien is delighted to have a neighbor like Billy Lee after the jockey steered his Bianca Minola (Fr) (Shakespearean {Ire}) home a winner twice in four days earlier this month while also riding a winner for him at the opening meeting at the Curragh.

If 2014 was a milestone for Lee with a first top level win, 2016 was also memorable from a winners' tally point of view and it will serve as the benchmark for future seasons. “In 2016 I broke the 50-winner mark for the first time and then I did the same last year so obviously the aim is to keep trying to increase the win tally and get more success in the bigger races,” he said. “Willie has trained 29 winners each of the last two seasons so getting him to break the 30 mark is also an objective for this year. We've both made a good start so fingers crossed it can continue.”

Every-day winners are Lee's bread and butter and, as with most jockeys, these winners are the reward and necessary motivation that spurs him on to want more and to justify the physical sacrifices made in order to 'live the dream' but ultimately earn a living. It is now the lure of the big horse that is occupying Lee's mind while he continues, more or less, to dispute the lead at the top of the jockeys' table, admittedly at this very early stage of the season.

“Being champion is not a major objective of mine, however riding another Group 1 winner and getting the rides in the Classics, that is definitely the aim. But you can't beat a winner. I'm happy with how I'm riding and we have a lovely bunch of horses in Willie's. Realistically I think you could only start thinking about the championship around August time if you happen to be near the top of the table.”

Being associated with a trainer like McCreery is likely to see Lee fulfil his ambition to be mixing it with the best and there are several horses in the yard that look capable of group success. One of the highlights of the season so far has been the smooth success of Mary Tudor (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Listed Salsabil S. at Navan last month. That win was over 10 furlongs and it looks likely that the Godolphin-owned filly will step back up to at least that trip after finishing mid division in the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown over a mile on Sunday. While Lee may have been in the plate on Sunday, given the filly's ownership he is well aware that he may be watching from the sidelines on another occasion if William Buick or James Doyle are in town for the weekend.

“There's not much I can do about that,” he admits. “I'm just glad to get on her when I can, as we think a lot of her and she was very impressive in Navan that day.”

One filly with whom Lee is more likely to maintain his partnership is Bloomfield (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), trained by McCreery for owner/breeder John Connaughton. The 4-year-old is a perfect two from two in stakes races this season and will bid to make it a hat-trick in the G3 Munster Oaks at Cork next month. The filly won her last race over a mile and three quarters and could make up into a genuine 'Cup' contender as the season progresses.

While continued success looks a formality for Lee, there is no chance of him getting carried away by success. He is humble to his core and will freely admit that there is no shortage of talent in the weighing-room that hasn't had the chance to shine just yet.

“A lot of it is down to getting a break,” he said. “I was lucky enough a few years ago I had two good jobs riding for the Stacks and David Wachman and I was riding winners but I needed that bit of luck and that came along when I got the ride on Fiesolana. That success has allowed me to make a leap to a higher level and plenty of lads the same as me are just hoping for that lucky break.”

He continued, “As David Wachman was winding down I was also lucky to get in with Willie at the right time. We've both been on an upward curve, we work well together and we've had some good success the past couple of years. I've always had belief in myself but I'm still learning and I'd say there is definitely more to come.”

Having been influenced in his youth by a supreme stylist in Richard Hughes and the fierce competitor that was Johnny Murtagh, Lee has time on his side to start accumulating the kind of accomplishments his two idols achieved, seemingly with such ease and frequency.