Back in action today after quarantining following his ride on Romanised in France on August 16th, Billy Lee wasted no time getting back to the number one spot on Royal Canford in the Castlerea Handicap at Roscommon.

A 30th winner of the campaign for Lee, the Galway festival winning filly again got this done from the front.

She soon led and ridden over a furlong out Willie McCreery’s Royal Canford kept on strongly in the final furlong to beat Swiss Army Officer by two and three parts of a length.

McCreery (52 today) said: “Billy jumped her out and set lovely fractions. It’s great for her owner/breeder Michael O’Donnell who didn’t have a winner for a while and has now had two in a week (Huddle Up at Cork last Tuesday).

“We might look for a bit of black type with her now that she’s in good form.”

For his part Lee remarked: “She’s very hardy and winged around the bends. Things have to go right for her but when she wins she wins well.”

(AM & EM)