Youceeyouceecee and Billy Lee (near side) win from Fascinating Spirit (noseband) © Photo Healy Racing
The Thanks To All The Frontline Workers From Cork Racecourse Handicap (Div I) was won by Youceeyouceecee (17/2, from 12s first show) completing a quick 40/1 double for Billy Lee.
Most form students would have drawn a line through the 8-year-old confirmed mudlark on today’s good ground, but after being held up towards the rear, Lee switched his mount to race against the stands’ rail and the Rock Of Gibraltar gelding passed plenty of rivals in the final furlong to score by half a length. Fascinating Spirit finished second having been prominent throughout, just ahead of Woods with the 9/2 favourite Silk Cravat in fourth.
The winner’s five previous wins had all come on soft or heavy ground, and he’d been well down the field on his first start of the campaign at Naas.
Winning trainer Susan Finn, a sister of the winning rider, said: “It was a bit of a shock but Billy (Lee) did fancy him as our horses weren't right a couple of weeks ago and he ran terribly.
"I was worried the ground was too fast but they went some pace on it.
"He is a paddly, bad mover but when they get a bit of age, they know how to mind themselves and the minute he started passing horses, he was flying it.
"We are running out of options as he is getting old but this is brilliant."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
