Dubai: There may not too many trainers in the world who have had the privilege of training a horse for Godolphin, one of the world’s most influential and successful racing operations, let alone saddling a winner.

However, Ireland’s Willie McCreery will on Sunday join an illustrious roster of famous handlers when he saddles Godolphin’s Leading Actress in the Grangecon Stud Stakes (Group 3) at The Curragh, Ireland on Sunday.

McCeery’s protégé faces ten rivals in the 1200m contest, which is registered as the Balanchine Stakes, a race named after the stable’s original superstar and winner of the 1994 Irish Derby.

A former Gaelic footballer-turned racehorse trainer, McCeery is the newest handler to represent the Dubai-owned stable which launched in 1992 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Less than two weeks ago the Irishman, whose racing lineage is not in question, notched his first winner for Shaikh Mohammad when Leading Actress recorded a hard-earned neck victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 2yo Fillies Maiden at Cork on June 15.

Bred at Shaikh Mohammad’s Darley Stud, the two-year-old daughter of Makfi, also created a piece of history by becoming the first winner for the sire in Ireland.

She has since been transferred to Godolphin’s ownership and will now sport the famous all blue colours in Sunday’s race.

McCreery, whose father Peter trained winners at Cheltenham and the Irish Champion Hurdles, said after Leading Light’s debut victory at Cork.: “That’s the monkey off my back. That is my fourth runner for Shaikh Mohammad, three of them have been second and I thought we were going to be second again.

“She is a nice filly. I wanted to keep her and Devonshire [also owned by Shaikh Mohammad] separate and I thought the straight five would suit her.

“Pat was strong without being over strong on her and six or seven won’t be a bother to her.

“She is a big strong filly and we wouldn’t want to over phase her. We will step her up now.”

McCreey will be hoping for a strong performance from Leading Actress on Sunday as he hopes to establish his position alongside Godolphin’s like Saeed Bin Surour and Charlie Appleby, veteran Jim Bolger in Ireland, the legendary Andre Fabre in France and Kiaran Mclaughin, Eoin Harty and Tom Albertrani in the US.

Prior to becoming a public trainer, McCreery was responsible for pre-training at the Shaikh Mohammad-owned Kildangan Stud.

He set up his own in 2010 at Rathbride, on the edge of The Curragh. The Stable consists of 45 boxes, a horse walker, two furlong covered woodchip gallop and 40 acres of turnout paddocks. The yard provides access to The Curragh’s training grounds: over 2,000 acres of grass with numerous woodchip, sand and synthetic exercise gallops available to the horses in Willie’s care.

He wasted no time to make his mark and was in 2013 nominated for The Outstanding Achievement award at the 11th annual Horse Racing Ireland awards.

The nomination was triggered by the outstanding results he achieve with Fiesolana, who won four races during the season including the Dubai Challenge Stakes (Group 2), Coolmore Stud Fairy Bridge Stakes (Group 3), Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Brownstown Stakes (Group 3) and the Ballyogan Stakes (Group 3).