Willie McCreery pictured with Up Helly Aa and regular partner Billy Lee© Photo Healy Racing
With the Flat turf season less than eight weeks away, Willie McCreery is already looking forward to an exciting campaign with the lightly-raced Up Helly Aa.
The Galileo colt holds a special place in McCreery’s affections as he’s the first foal out of Fiesolana, who provided the Curragh trainer with his only Group 1 victory when landing the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes at Leopardstown back in 2014.
Up Helly Aa was a backward type and didn’t make his debut until May 2019 but scored twice that season including the Listed Navigation Stakes at Cork.
The impeccably bred colt was twice placed last term at Group 3 level including when third to Tiger Moth again at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.
McCreery said, “Up Helly Aa stays in training and we’ll be looking at the mile and two (furlongs) races. He’s a big strong five-year-old colt and should be in his prime this year.
“We’ll aim at the Tattersalls Gold Cup and try and get a run into him before that maybe in the Mooresbridge Stakes.
“Another winter on his back will have done him good. The dam came into her own as a five-year-old and I’m hoping that he will be the same. He’s a very lightly-raced horse and has never been out of the first three.”
Lustown Baba is another shortening the winter nights for McCreery after finishing her three-year-old campaign in a blaze of glory.
The daughter of Alhebayeb, who won the valuable Foran Equine Auction Series Final as a juvenile, bolted up in a six-furlong Curragh handicap last autumn and showed that was no fluke by following up over the same course and distance in the Listed TRM Waterford Testimonial Stakes.
The Back Road Syndicate-owned filly relishes cut in the ground and not surprisingly McCreery won’t waste any time getting her back into action.
“Lustown Baba will be ready for early in the season, anything over six and seven furlongs on soft ground. Ideally six and barely raceable!”
Michael Halford reports that Sinawann will also remain in training with him this season, although the Aga Khan homebred has been slightly held up in his return to Copper Beech Stables.
The Kingman colt out of a half-sister to Sinndar showed his best form over a mile at Leopardstown last year winning the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes and also when just touched off by Safe Voyage in a thrilling renewal of the Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile.
“He’s just been held up a bit but will be kept in training this year and should be back with us soon,” said Halford.
“A mile is a good trip for him. I’m not sure he got the mile and a quarter at the Curragh last year but I’m sure he will have strengthened up over the winter.
“We’ll probably start him off over a mile.”
