WILLIE McCreery has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign and with a few genuine contenders for next week’s big Royal Ascot fixture, he looks set to enjoy a fine season.
With 14 winners on the board already, he is well on course for his best-ever season. He has a good mix of talented older horses with a number of well-bred juveniles that could in time turn out to be above average.
He explained: “We have around 20 two-year-olds and I’m fortunate that I have been sent some very nice horses by Godolphin.”
He added: “I have been happy with how the season has gone to date, but I need to start getting the two-year-olds out as some of the older horses are now in the grip of the handicapper. If we have some nice ground, I could have a nice team of horses for the Curragh on Derby weekend, but a good few of them are ground dependant.
“Having runners at Royal Ascot is very important, but you want the horses to do well and be competitive over there. It is a great meeting and it’s great to be a part of it.”
CHAMPAGNE OR WATER
5yo b m (313450-12)
Captain Rio - Former Drama
Mrs L Scott
She has been very consistent and having won well at Gowran, she bumped into a good filly the last day when second at the Curragh. She will head back there for the premier handicap over a mile on Derby weekend. She is an improving filly. She needs a cut in the ground, but she is a really tough filly that I like a lot. Later on in the year, we will try and chase some blacktype for her as this will be her last year in training.
SWEETEST TABOO
5yo b m (07423-5223)
Camacho - Princess Clara
Happy Wives Partnership
She will run at the weekend and she is a great starter horse for the apprentice in the yard. Any conditions suit her over five and hopefully she will win one or two before the end of the year.
TYLERY WONDER
6yo ch g (0184301-6)
Choisir - Over The Tylery
Tylery Road Syndicate
He’ll go for The Rockingham. He is a gross horse, who is hard to get fit, but he has won six races for me and he has been a great servant. He seems to save his best for the Curragh and he is a good solid handicapper who will hopefully get his turn again this year.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
BUMBASINA
2yo b f
Canford Cliffs - New Plays
Renzo Forni
She is a half-sister to Dolce Strega and I like her. She isn’t too far off a run and she is a nice filly.
CHILDHOOD
2yo b f
Lonhro - Lavender Baby
Mrs O M Patrick
She isn’t far off a run and I just didn’t want to chance her on the quick ground at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. She is ready to start off and I like her.
CHIEFTAN JACK
2yo b g
Clodovil - Misplace
John Davies
He is around six weeks off a run, but he has been working away nicely, I like him and he goes well.
COOL COLONNADE
2yo b c
Requinto - Reine De Coeur
John Donoghue
He is a nice colt that goes well. He is around three weeks off a run and his work at home has been solid.
COVETOUS
2yo b f
Medaglia D’oro - Jealous Again
Godolphin
She is a lovely filly out of a mare that won at Royal Ascot. We are in no rush with her, but we’ll get her going in the next six to eight weeks.
DIARIST
2yo b c
More Than Ready - Delizia
Godolphin
We like him and he isn’t too far off a run. He goes well and he’ll start off somewhere in the next four weeks or so.
FARADAYS LAW
2yo b f
Lawman - Faraday Light
Mrs Joan Keaney-Dempsey
She is a beautiful filly who is a full-sister to Just The Judge. She is a lovely mover and I will take my time with her. She is about six weeks off a run.
PINDARIC
2yo b c (7)
Poet’s Voice - Hunter’s Fortune
Godolphin
I was disappointed with him the last day. He acted up in the stalls and he ran in snatches, but he has come on for that and hopefully he can win his maiden and improve as the year goes on.
SIXTYSIX
2yo ch f (35)
Dandy Man - Over Rating
Thomas Jones
She picked up a little injury, but she is on the way back. I hope to win a maiden with her.
SMOKING HOT
2yo b f
Mastercraftsman - La Grande Zoa
Champion Thoroughbreds Australia
She is owned by a few lads from Australia and she is a nice filly that wants to please you. She goes well and is another that isn’t too far off a run.
SOFT KISS
2yo b f
Bernardini - Sunshine Song
Godolphin
She goes well and is a lovely big filly that we like. She would like a bit of nice ground and we’ll get her going in the next six to eight weeks.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
ARIDITY
3yo ch g (33-71)
Teofilo - Cloudspin
Godolphin
I always thought a lot of him last year, but he is a big, gross horse and he did it well when he won at Naas. He is in the Britannia and off 91, he might get in. He is a grand horse to train, but I don’t think the penny has dropped with him yet as he is as lazy as sin. Once he gets a few cracks, they seems to wake him up a bit. The ground couldn’t be fast enough for him.
BRIDGETS FABLE
3yo ch f (16-654)
Champs Elysees - Mark Too
D A Lynch
She will run on Saturday. She needs a trip and fast ground. She won her maiden first time out last year and she has improved a little now that we have stepped her up in trip. Hopefully she can win a handicap during the summer.
DOLCE STREGA
3yo b f (31452-11)
Zoffany - New Plays
Renzo Forni
She had been working well before she won the Athasi and I thought it was a very canny ride by Billy to win that day. She is in the Sandringham next week at Ascot and I’d imagine that she’ll go there. She seems to have improved and ground wouldn’t be that important to her once she doesn’t get extremes. I think a mile will be far enough for her and she appears to be in very good form.
ERYSIMUM
3yo b f (353-2114)
Arcano - Mathool
Barouche Stud (Ireland) Ltd
She is a nice filly. We had to be patient with her last year but as a result, she ended up getting a nice mark. I was a bit disappointed with her at Cork, but she won very well at Sligo (by 17 lengths). She went and won a winners race after that at Killarney and she has since run very well when fourth in a listed race at Naas. She is on a little holiday at the moment and I’d love to try and get some blacktype for her later on in the year. She is a lovely filly and she will get away with any ground bar real fast.
ESCALATE
3yo b f (78-95)
Fast Company - Nova Tor
Ms Yvonne Jacques
She is a full-sister to Devonshire and I’d love to win a little race with her for her owner who wants to breed from her. I think she is up to winning a handicap over a mile.
FRENCH BLUE
3yo b f (1-523)
Iffraaj - Powder Blue
Godolphin
I am just chasing blacktype for her. She will run in the Munster Oaks on Sunday and we’ll see how she gets on. She comes from a very good family and blacktype would be a big help to her.
INVINCIBLE LIA
3yo b f (6-410)
Invincible Spirit - Lia
Irish National Stud Breeding & Racing Club
She won well at Clonmel where she showed plenty of courage and heart, but the ground was probably just too soft for her the last day at the Curragh. She will go for another handicap when conditions are more suitable.
LORD ERSKINE
3yo b c (07)
Fast Company - Lindoras Grace
Godolphin
He is a nice horse that I hope to win a maiden with over mile and a half on decent ground.
MOST RADIANT
3yo b f (57)
Bushranger - Radiant Energy
Mrs S Grassick
She has run two nice races to date and I’d like to think that she can win a country maiden over seven furlongs on nice ground
OCTILLO
3yo ch g (598)
Raven’s Pass - Meiosis
Caroline Ahearn
He is an honest little horse and we might win a little handicap with him. Six or seven furlongs on good ground is what he wants.
PETICOATGOVERNMENT
3yo b f (361-8914)
Holy Roman Emperor - Fotini
Peticoat Government Syndicate
She is a grand tough filly and will go to Cork on Sunday if the rain arrives. Six is her trip and she has already won a very nice pot at Naas. She just needs a slight ease in the ground and she has run well since. She is going the right way and I was bit disappointed with her in The Madrid, but in hindsight Atwaad won that and we all know what he has done since.
RACONTEUR
3yo b c (336)
Acclamation - Red Bloom
Cheveley Stud Ltd
He is a nice maiden. He has run three solid races and is a big raw horse. He should be able to win his maiden or we might go the handicap route with him now. He is in the July Sales and he wants good ground. He is in the Ulster Derby and I’d imagine that he’ll take his chance in that.
RADIANTLY
3yo gr f ( 614-426)
Aussie Rules - Eccentricity
Niarchos Family
She is in the Sandringham next week but I’d like to wait for the Oaks Trial at Naas in a couple of weeks’ time. She has a high rating and we have to go the route that we are going. I think she might improve a bit when we stretch her out a bit in trip. Any ground bar firm is fine for her.
SARAKOVA
3yo b g (006)
Iffraaj - Mary Pickford
Thomas Jones
He has run well enough in his three maidens and I’d like to think that if he gets a reasonable mark that he’ll be competitive in his own grade in handicaps.
SHRILL
3yo b f (1301-55)
Shamardal - Wood Vine
Godolphin
She’ll take her chance in all those good sprint races for the summer. She is an out and out five-furlong filly and wants it like the road. She has some blacktype and the plan is to try and get some more for her. She’ll run at Cork on Sunday in the listed sprint. I’d love to win a stakes race with her.
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
DEVONSHIRE
4yo b f (/22302417-21)
Fast Company - Nova Tor
Godolphin
She is in super form and she’ll go to Ascot next week for the Duke Of Cambridge. I also put her in the Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh on Derby weekend, but the plan is to run next week.
She will be well entered up in all those good Group 1s/2s and we might bring her to America later on in the year. She loves an ease in the ground and I’d love to win a Group 1 with her by the end of the year. There is not much substance to her, but she is all heart. She runs on any ground, but she is just so much more affective on ground with an ease.
DOWNFORCE
4yo b g (56128-11)
Fast Company - Spinning Ruby
Donal Finnan
He is a nice horse that has won his last two handicaps. He has done well for us and hopefully he’ll win another one. Six or seven furlongs on good ground is what he wants, he is going the right way and won nicely the last day at the Curragh.
ELM GROVE
4yo b f (/504913-1440)
Arcano – Ladytown
John Malone
She won earlier in the year at Gowran, but the ground was very soft that day. The handicapper was very hard on her as well and hasn’t given her any chance to win another race. The ground was just awful at Gowran, but she got away with it. She has been well held since and as she needs slow ground, I have given her a break. She is a grand honest filly that tries her best, but she just needs some help from the handicapper.
EXPRESO BRASILEIRO
4yo b g (/5483212-322)
Lope De Vega – Lidanna
Ralmon Sousa
He is an unlucky horse that can’t seem to get his head in front. He has been murdered by the handicapper and I just think he has been very hard on him. He started off the year rated 76 and he hasn’t won yet and he is now up to 83. He won’t run on fast ground and we’ll get him out again once he gets an ease in the ground.
FACT OR FOLKLORE
4yo ch f (/3146116-542)
Lope De Vega - Luturna
Ballylinch Stud/ S Hyland
She ran her best race the other day when runner up in the Saval Beg, but she wants an ease in the ground and if it wasn’t a stakes race, I probably wouldn’t have run her. Billy was very good on her and we’ll put her away now and bring her back for an autumn campaign. She remained on 94 after the race, so we’ll see. There are a few races in England for her at the back end that we might look at.
OSTATNIA
4yo b f (/32118150-761)
Amadeus Wolf - Ostrusa
S.P. McCarthy
She clocked a very fast time when she won at Tipperary and she’ll go to the Curragh on Derby weekend for the Rockingham. The faster they go the better, as she is lazy and she loves to hang onto their coat tails and arrive late. Billy gets on very well with her. She loves fast ground, but she’ll run regardless of the ground at the Curragh and she has come out of Tipperary in great form.
SILVER THISLE
4yo gr f (796)
Mastercraftsman - Miss Gorica
A Martin
She ran okay the other day at Fairyhouse and hopefully she will be able to find her own level and be competitive in handicaps over seven or a mile. She is out of Miss Gorica who was a very good mare for Joanna Morgan.
VALENTANA
4yo b f (534-8)
Haatef – Miss Latina
J Liggett
She is a nice filly that I hope will be able to win a handicap or two. She is from the family of Fiesolana so it would be great to get a bracket for her. I think a mile on decent ground is what she wants.
FACTFILE
Name: Willie McCreery
Address: Rathbride Stables, Rathbride, Kildare, Co. Kildare.
Telephone: 045 45522444 | Mob 08876783303
Number of horses: 60
Jockeys: Billy Lee rides all of mine. Declan McDonogh and Robbie Downey come in and ride work once a week and they will ride what Billy can’t. Coleman Comerford is my apprentice.