Self Belief made a nice winning debut under Billy Lee © Photo Healy Racing
Billy Lee continued his incredible season when guiding debutant Self Belief to victory in the Barberstown Castle Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden at the Curragh.
The Willie McCreery trained son of Make Believe was delivered late by the in-form jockey to get the better of Paris Peacock inside the final furlong.
A half-brother to black type filly Statement, the Ballylinch owned gelding looked a smart horse in the making.
It was a fourth winner of Derby weekend for Billy Lee, who earlier took the featured Pretty Polly Stakes.
“I was thanking our Lord for all the showers today because I trained the mother and she loved soft ground,” said McCreery.
“He relished that ease in the ground today and Billy gave him a lovely nurturing ride, he didn't go for him early.
“He jumped out of the stalls a bit slow, he was in there for a while, and he let him find his feet.
“A mile is a bit short for him but that ground helped him out, the further he goes the better he'll get.
“We just took our time with him, his coat still isn't there yet. If I didn't run him today there isn't really a maiden for a couple of weeks.
“I just saw that there were showers coming at the weekend and when it really rained this morning I was quite happy. If the ground wasn't suitable we weren't running him.
“He's very tough, he's still not there physically, but Ballylinch have let me be very patient with him. He'll come on from this run a lot and I'd say he'll be a stakes horse in time.
“He'd love the back of the season this year and he'll be a lovely horse next year.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
