TITLE-chasing Billy Lee announced his return from a three-day suspension with a double which continued his push towards a career-best seasonal tally and his brace concluded with a victory for his long standing ally Willie McCreery as Are We Dreaming bagged the Phil & Patsy Kierans Memorial Maiden.

On his first day back riding since that famous success on La Petite Coco in the Pretty Polly, Lee enjoyed a relatively straightforward success aboard the 6/5 favourite who was sporting a first-time visor.

The drop back to five furlongs following a runner-up effort over seven furlongs at Down Royal last month was no problem for Are We Dreaming.

She was never far off the pace and she got on top over the course of the last furlong to defeat the 72-rated Shoebox King by a length and a quarter.

“I’m delighted, she’s a very well bred filly and she’s the first runner out of the mare,” said McCreery.

“We took our time with her last year as she was a little bit weak and she came here off three solid runs. Hugh Hyland from Oghill House Stud is one of her owners and it is a bit of a tonic for him as he is not feeling great at the minute.”

Salome

Half an hour earlier Lee struck for Andrew Kinirons as Mary Salome defied a wide draw in the 47-70 rated Grimme Ireland Handicap over just short of a mile.

Now a four-time winner, the Kinirons-owned daughter of Zebedee was returned a well-backed 4/1 chance to build on a second to Church Mountain at Limerick last month. She got to the front with around a furlong to run here and kept on well to see off Tara Power by half a length.

“She’s been running well in fairness and is so honest. She’s our guide at home in work, she’s an unbelievable workhorse,” remarked the trainer. “Bill is great, he has ridden work for us for a long time and he’s a great judge. He’s great to have on your side.”

The evening concluded with a victory for Eoin Doyle and Mark Enright as Rock On Pedro struck at 25/1 in the 47-65 rated Aerlinks Aircraft Leasing Handicap over a mile and a half.

A nine-race maiden coming into this race, the Suir Valley Syndicate-owned four-year-old was getting back to the form that carried him into second in a Thurles handicap last autumn. Rock On Pedro got to the front late on to deny the John McConnell duo of Duleek Street and Magi Gal.

“I think he enjoyed that ground. He’s a big horse and he actually enjoyed it around there. The slow ground helped him,” reflected Enright.

JOSEPH O’Brien enjoyed a good meeting on the two-year-old front and his second juvenile winner in as many days came when the promising Lakota Seven secured the Irish EBF Median Sires Series (C&G) Maiden over just short of a mile.

The Magnolia Racing Syndicate-owned son of freshman sire Sioux Nation was sent off the 8/13 favourite to build on a runner-up effort at Down Royal last month.

His prospects of victory looked remote at best inside the final half mile as he was being pushed along in second last place. He found his best stride for Shane Crosse inside the last quarter of a mile though and finished with a tremendous flourish inside the distance to score by an ever-increasing two and a half lengths.

“Shane said he was a little bit sluggish getting away and he just got too far back. He is such a laid-back horse and I still think that there is so much improvement to come. I think he will be way better on a better galloping track,” reported the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.

The card kicked off with a winner for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley as My Minervina (7/2), in the colours of Peter Savill, took the Guinness Claiming Race at a track where she began her career with a second back in August 2020.

The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor, who was wearing first-time cheekpieces, was produced with a steady effort over the last furlong and a half which saw her edge out Helen De Pourtales in the final yards in a race where the first five home were covered by less than a length.

The fifth-placed Talking Tough was picked up to join Shane Duffy for €8,000 while James McAuley claimed the sixth-placed Eastern Racer for €5,000 and the eighth, Aleksey Tolstoy, for €4,000.

AIDAN O’Brien took the wraps off a potentially useful type in Perotan (9/1) who swooped late in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over just short of a mile and a half.

A Churchill half-sister to four blacktype winners and the dam of the top-class Ribchester, Seamie Heffernan’s mount had any amount to recommend her on pedigree, and she produced a taking finishing effort. She came with a sweeping run to lead inside the final furlong for a comfortable one-and-three-quarter-length success over Isotta which bodes well for her prospects in better company later this season.

“She has a little bit of class and always worked like a nice filly. She won well at the line, so hopefully she keeps progressing,” declared Heffernan.

Elsewhere, Mass Gathering won her second race of the season when bolting up in the Inaugural Western Motors CUPRA Handicap over five furlongs.

The 8/1 chance struck the front for Wesley Joyce after halfway and soon powered clear to hit the line three and a half lengths ahead of Kilonova.

The Galway Festival beckons for the Lios Dearg Partnership-owned winner who was giving Offaly-based Joseph Murray his second winner since he took out a training licence just over a year ago.