Latest news with #WillieMcCreery
Irish Times
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Green Impact drops to Group Two level at York but faces formidable rival in Almaqam
Norwalk Havoc is set to feature in Jessica Harrington's team for next week's Galway festival, but before that the Co Kildare trainer is pursuing Group Two glory at York on Saturday. Her Classic contender Green Impact drops a level for the Sky Bet York Stakes over 10 furlongs, but comes up against a potential top-notch performer in Almaqam. The latter beat no less than the subsequent Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman at Sandown in May and lines up here in pursuit of his favoured easy ground conditions. Green Impact is among a trio of three-year-olds taking him on. Shane Foley's mount drops in trip from finishing sixth to Lambourn in the Irish Derby. In between that and filling sixth in the 2,000 Guineas, Green Impact landed a Listed contest at Leopardstown over this distance. READ MORE Other Irish interest cross-channel on Saturday will be at Ascot where Willie McCreery has booked David Egan for Jancis in the Group Three Valiant Stakes. She ran behind Whirl and Kalpana in the Pretty Polly Stakes on her last start. Also on the King George undercard, Jamie Spencer will team up with Aragum Bay for the Harty team in the Group Three Princess Margaret Stakes for juveniles. Aragum Bay won at Listed level on her last start in Tipperary. The Harrington team also has a couple of runners at Gowran on Saturday, the only Irish weekend fixture ahead of next week's festival action in Ballybrit. They include the Bellewstown winner Sea Coral, who goes in the featured Listed Marble City Stakes. Top-rated in the three-year-old contest is Emit, one of three hopefuls for Joseph O'Brien . On quick ground he attempts 12 furlongs for the first time. Emit is a half-brother to Norwalk Havoc, who is on course for another crack at this Tuesday's Colm Quinn Mile, the day two festival feature in Galway. The gelding was beaten by just a neck by Mexicali Rose in the prestigious handicap a year ago and is a general 14-1 shot in ante-post betting to go one better. Selective watering began in Ballybrit on Friday with a mainly dry weather outlook for the coming days. Ground conditions are yielding on the flat course and good on the National Hunt circuit. Original plans for Green Impact were to target Sunday's Group One Grosser Dallmayer Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Munich only for ground conditions to turn against the Irish hope. A total of 11 horses will still line up in the 10-furlong contest due off at 1.10pm Irish time, and Irish jockey Ronan Whelan will fly out to ride the French filly Dare To Dream. Godolphin's Tornado Alert is one of a pair of three-year-olds taking on older horses in the race, and Oisín Murphy again rides. Tornado Alert was runner-up to Trinity College in his last start in Royal Ascot's Hampton Court Stakes. The top French performer Map Of Stars is also in the line-up for James Doyle. The German highlight was a once popular option for Irish horses, with Timarida (1996), Market Booster (1993) and Kooyonga (1992) all successful.
South Wales Guardian
23-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
McCreery has high hopes this season for Vespertilio
The filly was an intended runner in the Group Two at the Curragh on Sunday, but when the going description was changed to good to yielding trainer Willie McCreery opted to save her for more suitable ground. The Phoenix Sprint Stakes is now on the agenda, over six furlongs at Group Three level at the Curragh, with the Sprint Cup at Haydock a longer-term aim later in the year. 'It was just that the ground changed and I thought that might take the sting out of her sprint,' McCreery said of Vespertilio's withdrawal. 'We'd said we'd leave it as there are a couple of other races for her. She's entered in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, we could go for that, and then probably we'd have a look at the Haydock Sprint Cup. 'She's come out this year a lot stronger and a lot more like a sprinter I think, hopefully I'm correct. 'We've got to give her another go at Group One level at one stage, I think sprinting is her game and I think she's very, very fast.' McCreery has another quality filly in Jancis, who is entered in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot on Saturday and will travel across to Berkshire if the going allows. It is a step back to a mile for the chestnut, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and prior to that was also fifth in the one-mile Lanwades Stud Stakes at the same track. 'She's entered in the Valiant on Saturday at Ascot over the mile,' said McCreery. 'We'll see what the ground is like for her, she needs quick ground so hopefully we'll get it and we'll be able to travel over for Saturday. 'I have been trying to stretch her out to a mile and two furlongs to give her more options, but I think a faster trip suits her better so we'll go back to the mile now.'
Rhyl Journal
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
McCreery has high hopes this season for Vespertilio
The filly was an intended runner in the Group Two at the Curragh on Sunday, but when the going description was changed to good to yielding trainer Willie McCreery opted to save her for more suitable ground. The Phoenix Sprint Stakes is now on the agenda, over six furlongs at Group Three level at the Curragh, with the Sprint Cup at Haydock a longer-term aim later in the year. 'It was just that the ground changed and I thought that might take the sting out of her sprint,' McCreery said of Vespertilio's withdrawal. 'We'd said we'd leave it as there are a couple of other races for her. She's entered in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, we could go for that, and then probably we'd have a look at the Haydock Sprint Cup. 'She's come out this year a lot stronger and a lot more like a sprinter I think, hopefully I'm correct. 'We've got to give her another go at Group One level at one stage, I think sprinting is her game and I think she's very, very fast.' McCreery has another quality filly in Jancis, who is entered in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot on Saturday and will travel across to Berkshire if the going allows. It is a step back to a mile for the chestnut, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and prior to that was also fifth in the one-mile Lanwades Stud Stakes at the same track. 'She's entered in the Valiant on Saturday at Ascot over the mile,' said McCreery. 'We'll see what the ground is like for her, she needs quick ground so hopefully we'll get it and we'll be able to travel over for Saturday. 'I have been trying to stretch her out to a mile and two furlongs to give her more options, but I think a faster trip suits her better so we'll go back to the mile now.'
Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
McCreery has high hopes this season for Vespertilio
The filly was an intended runner in the Group Two at the Curragh on Sunday, but when the going description was changed to good to yielding trainer Willie McCreery opted to save her for more suitable ground. The Phoenix Sprint Stakes is now on the agenda, over six furlongs at Group Three level at the Curragh, with the Sprint Cup at Haydock a longer-term aim later in the year. 'It was just that the ground changed and I thought that might take the sting out of her sprint,' McCreery said of Vespertilio's withdrawal. 'We'd said we'd leave it as there are a couple of other races for her. She's entered in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, we could go for that, and then probably we'd have a look at the Haydock Sprint Cup. 'She's come out this year a lot stronger and a lot more like a sprinter I think, hopefully I'm correct. 'We've got to give her another go at Group One level at one stage, I think sprinting is her game and I think she's very, very fast.' McCreery has another quality filly in Jancis, who is entered in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot on Saturday and will travel across to Berkshire if the going allows. It is a step back to a mile for the chestnut, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and prior to that was also fifth in the one-mile Lanwades Stud Stakes at the same track. 'She's entered in the Valiant on Saturday at Ascot over the mile,' said McCreery. 'We'll see what the ground is like for her, she needs quick ground so hopefully we'll get it and we'll be able to travel over for Saturday. 'I have been trying to stretch her out to a mile and two furlongs to give her more options, but I think a faster trip suits her better so we'll go back to the mile now.'
North Wales Chronicle
22-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
McCreery has high hopes this season for Vespertilio
The filly was an intended runner in the Group Two at the Curragh on Sunday, but when the going description was changed to good to yielding trainer Willie McCreery opted to save her for more suitable ground. The Phoenix Sprint Stakes is now on the agenda, over six furlongs at Group Three level at the Curragh, with the Sprint Cup at Haydock a longer-term aim later in the year. 'It was just that the ground changed and I thought that might take the sting out of her sprint,' McCreery said of Vespertilio's withdrawal. 'We'd said we'd leave it as there are a couple of other races for her. She's entered in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, we could go for that, and then probably we'd have a look at the Haydock Sprint Cup. 'She's come out this year a lot stronger and a lot more like a sprinter I think, hopefully I'm correct. 'We've got to give her another go at Group One level at one stage, I think sprinting is her game and I think she's very, very fast.' McCreery has another quality filly in Jancis, who is entered in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot on Saturday and will travel across to Berkshire if the going allows. It is a step back to a mile for the chestnut, who was last seen finishing fifth in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and prior to that was also fifth in the one-mile Lanwades Stud Stakes at the same track. 'She's entered in the Valiant on Saturday at Ascot over the mile,' said McCreery. 'We'll see what the ground is like for her, she needs quick ground so hopefully we'll get it and we'll be able to travel over for Saturday. 'I have been trying to stretch her out to a mile and two furlongs to give her more options, but I think a faster trip suits her better so we'll go back to the mile now.'
