In recent years Billy Lee has established himself as one of the top young jockeys in Ireland, gaining a reputation as a rider that excels on hold-up horses.
Principal Trainers: Tommy Stack, Charlie Swan
Notable Wins:
- Rockingham Stakes at York (Katla 2010)
- Park Express Stakes (Pollen 2010)
- Cooley Fillies Stakes (Jalmira 2008)
- Irish Lincolnshire (Crooked Throw 2008)
- Marshall Stakes (Jalmira 2007)
- Navigation Stakes (Jalmira 2007)
- MCR Group EBF August Premier Handicap (Emmpat 2007)
- Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap Final (Crooked Throw 2006)
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery (Hammers Boy 2006)
- Gordon Plant Memorial Newton Novices' Hurdle (Wanango 2005)
- Dunnes Stores Better Value EBF September Premier Handicap (King Carew 2003)
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Autumn Fillies Premier Handicap (Somethingforsunday 2003)
- Ladbroke Rockingham Handicap (Assign Lady 2003)
Early Days
Lee was attached to the Tommy Stack yard at the beginning of his career and he maintains a strong link to the stable to the present day. Indeed, it was the Stack yard that gave Lee his first ride when he partnered Zeno to finish fifth in a 7f handicap at the Galway Festival on July 30th 2002. A week later, that same horse provided him with his first win when prevailing in a 7f handicap at Sligo and a fortnight later he again combined with the same horse to win over that same course and distance. The exposure that he gained from those wins helped him gain a level of support from outside trainers that would be the envy of any 10 lbs claimer and he wasted little time adding to his tally, wrapping up the 2002 season by teaming up with the Ken Condon-trained pair of Musical World and Battish for a total of three wins between them.
Building A Reputation
While 2003 started out slowly for Lee, with him failing to ride a winner from March through to June, July saw a notable upturn in his fortunes and the rest of the season was very much a success. The highlight of the season for him was unquestionably his win in the valuable Rockingham Handicap on the Desmond McDonogh-trained Assign Lady. He gained another notable win on Somethingforsunday in the valuable Autumn Fillies Premier Handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Stakes day. He also formed profitable partnerships with a number of Michael Hourigan-trained horses, most notably Kakatiya (3 wins) and King Carew (2 wins, including a premier handicap at the Curragh). In total, he rode 22 winners from 283 rides during the 2003 season, a notable achievement for such a young jockey.
A Slight Slow Down
Unfortunately for Lee though, like so many up-and-coming sportsmen, he experienced a case of ‘second season syndrome’ during the 2004 campaign with his tally of winners literally halving and big-race winners being conspicuous by their absence. His most notable success of the season came on the Tommy Stack-trained Swiss Roll in a conditions race at the Galway Festival. It was during this time that he took his first rides over jumps and while he failed to ride a winner in 32 rides in that sphere during the 2004/5 season, success would not be long in coming his way over the jumps.
2005 was another tough year for Lee as unbelievably, his number of winners dipped again with him visiting the winners’ enclosure on just nine occasions, again with no big-race win in sight. One positive aspect of the year was that during the 2005/6 National Hunt season Lee made something of a breakthrough in the jumps game, riding five winners from 91 rides with the highlight coming on the Tommy Stack-trained Wanango in the Listed Gordon Plant Memorial Newton Novices' Hurdle at Haydock.
Back On Track
Thankfully for Lee, 2006 saw his fortunes very much take a turn for the better, with him returning to his prolific form of 2003, booting home no less than 21 winners from 303 rides on the Flat. While a big-race win again eluded him, his victory on the Tommy Stack-trained Hammers Boy in a premier nursery at the Galway Festival was sure to have been sweet for him. He wrapped up the Flat season on a positive note by riding the Charlie Swan-trained Crooked Throw to an easy success in Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap Final at the Curragh in October. While he again opted to ride over jumps during the winter, he didn’t do so to the extent that he had the previous winter, riding two winners from just 37 rides.
An Established Jockey
2007 saw Lee’s profile rise to an all-new high and he matched his previous seasonal best by riding 22 winners from 406 rides. Again, Lee got off to something of a slow start, though he did finish second on Crooked Throw in the Irish Lincoln on the opening day of the season. However, he soon began to gain momentum and gained many plaudits for his excellent waiting rides on the Michael Flannery-trained Calm Lad whom he rode to win at the Curragh and Sligo. Notably, he shed his 3 lbs claim on the eve of his 21st birthday when riding Blackwater Pete to victory in a maiden at Ballinrobe on 23rd July and also gained his biggest win in a number of years when riding the Charlie Swan-trained Emmpat to win the MCR Group EBF August Premier Handicap at the first all-weather meeting in Ireland at Dundalk. Lee bettered that win when finishing the season in perfect style by gaining his first two wins at Listed level, riding the Charlie Swan-trained Jalmira to win the Navigation Stakes at Cork and the Marshall Stakes at Newmarket a fortnight later. The 2007/8 jump season saw him take a comparatively small number of rides, riding just the one winner in the shape of Baltiman, who is trained by his sister, Susan Finn.
2008 started off in perfect style for Lee, with him avenging his defeat in the corresponding race 12 months earlier by riding the Charlie Swan-trained Crooked Throw to success in the Irish Lincolnshire on the opening card at the Curragh. Jalmira again proved to be a lucrative partner for Lee and having finished in the frame on her on no less than six occasions in valuable events, the pair were eventually rewarded for their consistence when winning the Listed Cooley Fillies Stakes at Dundalk in the final weeks of the season. He completed the season having ridden a total of 17 winners from 414 rides. During the 2008/9 National Hunt season he again only took a small number of rides, failing to ride a winner in 11 attempts.
2009 was another solid campaign for Lee. While he failed to register a big-race success, he matched his previous seasonal-best tally of winners of 22. The highlights came on the Stack-trained Zorija Rose in a valuable fillies’ handicap at Gowran Park in early-May and on Francis Flood-trained Slievecorragh in the Tipperary Cup at Clonmel a few days later. Again, Lee kept active during the winter by riding over jumps, but again he failed to ride a winner in that sphere.
2010 was a kinder season to Lee in terms of big-race success. His campaign began in the perfect style, with him gaining his first win at Group level when riding the Tommy Stack-trained Pollen to success in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes on the opening day of the turf season at the Curragh. Perhaps his most high-profile mount that season came on Katla, a filly that was rejected by the sales companies and was the only horse trained by her breeder and owner, John Grogan. Having run well in her first two starts, she won a 6f maiden at Cork in August and the following month, she was short-headed in a Listed race at the Curragh. She failed to stay the 7f trip on her next start, but dropped back to 6f for the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York in October, she produced a devastating display under Lee, prevailing by an easy six lengths. That win capped what was a satisfactory campaign for Lee, with him riding a total of 19 winners. As well as that, Lee made a winning return to hurdling at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, riding the Stack-trained Mister Carter to win a juvenile maiden hurdle.
Lee has consistently impressed in victory, more often than not using his trademark patient riding style and his future as a fully-fledged jockey looks to be assured. More big-race wins are sure to be forthcoming in the near future and it should not be long before his talents are rewarded by further success at Group level.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011
