BILLY Lee’s stunning form has been one of the stories of the domestic season so far and the rider’s unrelenting quest for winners, which has made him a live contender for title honours, continued as he notched up a double.

Lee’s first winner came courtesy of his trustee ally Willie McCreery as Amirat Alward (11/1) made all in the Pat Smullen Handicap over an extended six furlongs.

This Micheal Fahy-owned three-year-old, who is a granddaughter of the high-class Lady Of The Desert, was clearly all the better for her unplaced Irish debut at Cork last month. She made all the running, stretched clear of the field early in the straight and reached the line just under two lengths ahead of the staying-on Theriverrunsdeep.

“Billy said he won it out of the stalls. She loved the tight track and he said when she heard them coming, she took off up the straight again. She’s not an overly big filly but she has a good heart,” reported the trainer who indicated his charge would try for blacktype in the coming months.

Focussed Beach

Lee then added to his tally as Warren Beach justified his position as the 6/5 favourite in the Remembering John Kierans Rated Race over seven furlongs.

Ken Condon’s charge won well in first-time blinkers at Gowran Park just under a month previously and once again sported that headgear as he took on just two rivals.

In the straight, the Roving Swan Partnership-owned son of Aclaim always seemed to be in control and he held off Perfect Thunder by a length and a half, with Mudamer just a short head back in third.

“He broke a bit smarter today and was a bit more tuned in with the blinkers on again, they have really focussed him,” reflected Billy Lee. “He’s going the right way and could step back into blacktype company.”

Brabazon’s Apple

Billy Lee did his best to bring up a treble in the concluding older horses’ mile maiden but he had to settle for second behind Dick Brabazon’s Apple Of His Eye. Apprentice Jamie Powell was on board this Leon Carrick-owned daughter of Mehmas who took charge of this race to score by two lengths.

“I’ve had six seconds since my last winner so it’s great that she has won. I was probably a bit slow finding her right distance but she’s a miler who might go nine furlongs. Jamie is great value for his 7lb claim,” remarked the trainer.

DAVID Marnane’s MRC International syndicate initiative is really paying dividends and the newly formed 40-member group has another promising juvenile to represent them in Cash Or Crypto who belied odds of 22/1 in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.

Just a few days after the same owners’ Lady Tilbury booked her Royal Ascot ticket, Cash Or Crypto impressed under Mikey Sheehy.

The previously unraced son of Fascinating Rock always held a decent position and from the turn-in gave the impression that he had everything covered in this extended six-furlong affair. He led over a furlong out and defeated the always prominent Rumbled Again by a length and a quarter.

“He’s a late May foal and is still well up behind but he’s shown us gears at home and in time I think he could be very good. We’ll give him a few weeks before running again,” declared Marnane.

Grigadale strikes

The trainer came within touching distance of a double but his Inchiquin Star was just denied by Jarlath Fahey’s Grigadale in the second division of the 47-75 rated Shay Rooney Handicap.

An eight-race maiden coming into this race, the Paul Hyland-owned Grigadale had shown more than enough to suggest a race like this was within his reach and he returned to his best to strike at 20/1.

Leigh Roche had him well positioned in second from the outset of this seven-furlong handicap and the pair bested the front-running Wee Pablo around 100 yards from home.

The line arrived just in time for Grigadale to edge out Inchiquin Star by a short head in a race where less than half a length covered the first four home.

Harrington has the last laugh

JESSICA Harrington and Shane Foley got among the winners when Ha Ha Ha got off the mark at the third attempt in the Oliver Broderick Fillies Maiden over a mile.

This Dark Angel filly had started her career with good fourth-placed runs at the Curragh and Gowran Park earlier in the season and she returned in good shape from a month off to post a determined effort. The half-sister to her trainer’s Irish Oaks second Jack Naylor had to work to subdue the front-running Tawny Coster but she took that one’s measure over the course of the final furlong to get home by half a length.

A step-up to stakes level could be on the cards for the CBR Partnership-owned filly.

Stylish Bobby

In a style that is difficult to pull off at this track, the capable Bobby K (11/2) was able to come from well off the pace to land in front in the last few strides of the first division of the 47-75 rated Shay Rooney Handicap.

The Michael O’Meara-trained gelding, who has five career wins to his name, had most of the field to pass early in the straight but soon got rolling for Declan McDonogh and his sustained charge propelled him to the front late in the day.

The Emma Kennedy-owned seven-year-old got home by half a length from Drombeg Duke who was chasing a fourth win from his last six starts.

Dazzling

After starting the day with a couple of runner-up finishes, Colin Keane enjoyed better luck when The Dazzer struck for Pat Martin and owner-breeder Peter Mooney in the 47-65 rated John Thomas McNamara Handicap over a mile.

The 5/1 favourite built on a couple of decent efforts in defeat lately to come out the right side of a protracted battle with the game front-runner The Insider who went down by just a neck.