IRISH Champions Festival at the weekend was kind to both Chris Hayes of Shanagolden and Ballingarry’s Billy Lee, with both riders tasting Group 1 success.
Hayes was among the heroes at Leopardstown as he partnered one of the equine heroines of the year, 5/6 favourite Tahiyra, to a thrilling success in the €400,000 Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes.
On the second day of Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh, Lee was a Group 1 winner once again as he partnered the Charlie Bit Me Syndicate-owned Moss Tucker to land the €400,000 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes for trainer Ken Condon.
The syndicate is headed up by former Irish rugby international Donal Spring, who famously played at number eight on the Munster side that beat the All Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978.
Moss Tucker is named after Spring’s former teammates Moss Keane and Shannon rugby legend Colm Tucker. The five-year-old raced to his eighth career success when edging out the Clive Cox-trained Get Ahead by half a length.
