Amazon Lady ploughs lone furrow to land Rockingham

Jockey Billy Lee and trainer Willie McCreery got their tactics spot on with Amazon Lady making all on the far side to run out a game winner of the Dubai Duty Free Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh.

Drawn on the very inside in stall 1, Lee elected to switch right from the gates and make a beeline for the far rail.

Showing plenty of early dash despite having to give ground away at the start, Amazon Lady led throughout and found plenty for pressure to stay on resolutely for a one-and-a-half-length win. Greek Flower burst through on the stands side late on to take second, with UK raider Lethal Nymph back in third.

Winning jockey Billy Lee said: "She is a fast filly. She jumped really well today, was good into stride and took me along well.

"Willie(McCreery) said 'when you get done to the start have a look up and if it makes sense to keep over on your own, do'.

"He said you would only be wasting your time trying to get over from (stall)1.

"When I started to pick up I had a little glance across and I knew I had them."

Winning trainer Willie McCreery, who is based locally on the Curragh added: “She was drawn one and there was six metres of fresh ground for the Derby horses, so it would be fresh for the last three furlongs so I said to get over on to that.

“She doesn't mind racing on her own, she won in Navan the last day on her own. Billy has a good clock in his head and got her into a lovely rhythm.

“She broke from the gates and was gone, she didn't see anything.

“She's improving every race but unfortunately the breeder decided to put in her foal!

“She's in foal to New Bay and might have one more run in the Sweet Mimosa (Naas July 24th) before going home.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson.