Tag Archive for: Paddy Twomey

One Look’s Goffs Million rout seals a superb Saturday for Twomey

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One Look fairly bolted up in the Goffs Million at the Curragh on debut to ensure Paddy Twomey had a day he will never forgot.

Just over an hour after Deepone won the Group Two Beresford Stakes in fine style, One Look landed some hefty bets at 5-1 in the seven-furlong contest, worth €610,000 to the winner.

A filly by Gleneagles, she was smuggled into the race by Billy Lee before sprinting clear.

With just over a furlong to run Aidan O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom and Frankie Dettori had fought their way to the front and it seemed as if the pair were going to enjoy another big race success together.

However as soon as Lee released the handbrake on One Look she put the race to bed in a matter of strides, winning by six lengths.

Jockey Billy Lee (right) and Robert Connolly with One Look after winning the Goffs Million
Jockey Billy Lee (right) and Robert Connolly with One Look after winning the Goffs Million (Damien Eagers/PA)

“She’s a nice filly and she’s been a nice filly all year. I thought I would have run her earlier but it’s just the way it worked out and she was just ready to run this week,” said Twomey.

“I think she’s a nice filly and I gave her an (Irish) Guineas entry on Wednesday.

“I thought she was ready to start and good enough to be competitive. The plan was to track Frankie and see how we got on.”

When asked if the winner could run again this year he added: “I wouldn’t think so. That was a big performance to do that on debut. Maybe she’ll say yes but I doubt it.

“We have nice two-year-olds. I’m delighted as the owners (Connolly Racing Syndicate) sent me two horses this year for the first time and both have won first time out now. Juxtaposition won the first mile maiden at Leopardstown.”

Ger Lyons’ Pipsy (11-4) had beaten all bar the classy King Cuan on her debut and made no mistake in the Bermingham Cameras Photo Finish Irish EBF Maiden under Colin Keane.

Pipsy winning the Bermingham Cameras Photo Finish Irish EBF Maiden
Pipsy winning the Bermingham Cameras Photo Finish Irish EBF Maiden (Damien Eagers/PA)

“It was lovely and it was no more than you’d expect after seeing King Cuan, the first day in Cork and definitely the last day in Naas. He impressed me both times,” said Lyons.

“This filly has always been a filly we like and definitely a maiden winner. I said if she handles the ground she wins and if she doesn’t we’ll go to Dundalk – no problems.

“Colin was adamant she’d handle the ground and that she’ll handle Dundalk so we’ll go for the stakes race up there, the (Group 3) Mercury Stakes, and then we’ll put her away.

“It was her first day away at Cork, Paddy (Twomey’s) are always tuned to the minute and there was no third. I said ‘we’ve walked into one’.

“I felt a bit sorry for her then as she did everything right on her own that day.

“I said we’d see the truth of the race in Naas and I don’t think you could be any more impressed with the winner as he was beat, found a gear and took off again. I though then ‘he’s alright and we definitely walked into one’.

“We knew we had natural improvement and she’d win a good maiden but I was just worried about the ground.”

Deepone makes all to give Twomey first Beresford win

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Deepone ensured a new name will go on the Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes trophy as he provided Paddy Twomey with his first win in the Curragh contest.

Aidan O’Brien has won the Group Two a remarkable 21 times and fielded three runners on this occasion, all last time out winners and he had hired the services of Frankie Dettori for Navy Seal.

Colin Keane took the ride on Grosvenor Square while Gavin Ryan was on Chief Little Rock and with Joseph O’Brien running dual winner Stromberg, Twomey’s Study Of Man colt was almost fighting a lone battle against the O’Briens given the only other runner, Andy Oliver’s Ozark Daze, went off at 150-1.

With that possibly on his mind Billy Lee was ultra-positive on Deepone (3-1), who after winning his first two starts had finished second in a Listed race and fourth behind Diego Velazquez in a Group Two.

With two furlongs to run he had kicked almost five lengths clear and while the gap dwindled close to home, he still had a length and three-quarters to spare over Chief Little Rock who just edged out Grosvenor Square for second with Navy Seal and Dettori only fourth.

Deepone left a host of well bred horses trailing in his wake
Deepone left a host of well bred horses trailing in his wake (Damien Eagers/PA)

“He’s a nice horse, he’s been a work in progress and we’ve been educating him,” said Twomey.

“I felt he had come out of the last race in great form. I said to Billy that I was going to run him again and he kind of looked at me but I said I felt he was in good form.

“He’s a strong traveller and he finds plenty, I think he’s a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse next year.

“Hopefully for Vimal (Khosla, owner) he’s a Derby horse for next year and that’ll be it for this year now.

“I’ve been dropping him in on turning tracks and there was plenty of traffic. I said to Billy ‘no nonsense today, get out there and let’s go and see if they are good enough’.

“He put them to the sword and I think he’s a good horse.”

Paddy Power cut him to 20-1 from 33s for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Deepone takes foray into Listed waters at Tipperary

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Deepone will put his unbeaten record on the line when he lines up in the Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes at Tipperary on Friday.

Paddy Twomey’s youngster has created a deep impression in his two outings so far, excelling at Leopardstown on debut, before further enhancing his reputation with a comfortable success over a mile at Killarney.

The son of Study Of Man will now make his first foray into Pattern company with his handler unable to fault what he has seen from the colt in his short career so far.

“He’s a nice horse and he’s answered every question we’ve asked of him to date,” said Twomey.

“Tomorrow is the next step of his education and hopefully he can continue in the same sort of form.

“He’s been an uncomplicated horse and everything we have asked he has done it. We think he will make a nice three-year-old and we’re just taking the steps and educating him at the minute.”

The O’Brien family is well represented in the Listed contest and Donnacha O’Brien’s Bremen is another to impress when winning over a mile at Killarney, while Joseph O’Brien will rely on Warnie who looked equally as talented when breaking his maiden at Bellewstown.

The Highland Reel colt was beaten only three lengths when making his debut in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Owning Hill handler believes his charge is more than capable of playing a part in this company.

He said: “He won nicely at Bellewstown and the race has worked out well. We think he is a smart enough colt and he can be competitive in this grade.

“The owners are Australian-based so it was nice they could be there to watch him make his debut at Ascot which was lovely and he came back and won well next time.”

Aidan O’Brien has a good record in this event and has won it with the likes of St Leger hero Capri in the past.

This time he saddles both Leopardstown scorer Brilliant and Democracy, while Dermot Weld’s Captain Maverick was behind Warnie at Bellewstown on debut before getting off the mark at Galway and is an interesting contender for the Rosewell House handler.

Adrian Murray’s Courageous Strike completes the select group of seven that will head to post.

Twomey leaning towards Yorkshire Oaks aim for Rosscarbery

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The Yorkshire Oaks is the preferred next target for Rosscarbery after she came off second best in a clash with Emily Dickinson at the Curragh on Saturday.

Paddy Twomey’s mare has won three times at Group Three level and last summer came within a neck of claiming Group One glory in the Prix Jean Romanet, narrowly failing to reel in Aristia.

Having finished fourth over 10 furlongs in the Pretty Polly Stakes on her penultimate start, Rosscarbery stepped up to a mile and three-quarters for last weekend’s Curragh Cup – but after travelling strongly to the front, she was oustayed by the hot favourite.

A return to Deauville for a second tilt at the Romanet is not being ruled as the five-year-old’s next objective, but Twomey views the Yorkshire Oaks on August 24, over the intermediate distance of a mile and a half, as the ideal aim.

“She ran great on Saturday over a trip that is probably as far as she wants to go in ground that was more favourable to Emily Dickinson than her – she likes a bit of faster ground,” said the trainer.

“We sort of have the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Jean Romanet in mind, that’s why we ran her at the weekend as it fitted in perfectly in our schedule.

“Out of those, the preference is probably for the Yorkshire Oaks. The Romanet is the Sunday before and she was second in that last year.

“I think a mile and a half at York would be her ideal track and trip and very suitable for her, so that’s what we have in mind.”

Curragh plan for Just Beautiful, with Group One triumph an ultimate aim

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The Minstrel Stakes is next on the agenda for Just Beautiful, as trainer Paddy Twomey plots a route to a possible tilt at Breeders’ Cup glory in the autumn.

A Group Three winner for Ivan Furtado in 2021, the five-year-old was subsequently bought for 625,000 guineas on behalf of Moyglare Stud Farm and moved to Ireland to join Twomey.

She only made it to the track twice last season, disappointing at Leopardstown before finishing third at the Curragh, and she was again well held on her first start of this term in the Athasi Stakes.

But having bounced back to winning ways in the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes at the end of May, Twomey is hopeful she can continue to show her true colours for the remainder of the year.

“She’s in good form and the plan is to run her in the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh on (Irish) Oaks weekend,” said the trainer.

“She’ll have three options after that – the Prix Rothschild and the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville or the City of York Stakes. It’ll be one of those three races hopefully after the Minstrel Stakes.

“The long-range plan would be the Breeders’ Cup Mile if we could, but we’ll take it one step at a time.

“We didn’t really get a clear run at her last year – we had plenty of hold-ups.

“It was great to get a clear run with her this year and she’s versatile, I think. Seven furlongs on fast ground is probably her optimum, she has a lot of ability and I do hope she wins a Group One before the year is over.”

Rosscarbery ruled out of Lancashire Oaks run

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Paddy Twomey’s high-class filly Rosscarbery will not make a swift return to action in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on Saturday.

Having made a successful start to her campaign in the Munster Oaks at Cork, the four-year-old stepped up to Group One level for last weekend’s Pretty Polly Stakes.

The daughter of Sea The Stars was beaten five lengths into fourth place and Twomey believes she would have picked up valuable black type but for being hampered by eventual winner Via Sistina.

The Irish trainer has, though, decided against bidding for swift compensation on Merseyside, instead electing to keep his powder dry for major targets later in the summer.

“I made the entry (at Haydock) just to keep my options open. She’s entered in pretty much everything across the board,” said Twomey.

“She’s come out of the Curragh in good form. It was a pity what happened in the race as I think she’d have been in the first three with a clear passage.

“A mile and a quarter is her minimum trip – she stays a mile and a half and a mile and six. She needs everything to go right at 10 furlongs, so to get stopped in her tracks like that wasn’t ideal, but it is what it is and we move on to the next day.”

Considering future plans, he added: “We’ll see what we do, but a race like the Yorkshire Oaks would be very suitable for her – a mile and a half with a long straight.

“I think a mile and a half sees her to best effect, as she showed in Cork in the Munster Oaks.

“We’ll talk with the owners and make a plan, but the aim is to try to win a Group One if we can.”

Twomey also entered Final Gesture for the Lancashire Oaks, but confirmed she will instead be readied for next week’s Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown.

Royal Ascot not on the agenda for Just Beautiful

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Just Beautiful will miss the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot as connections plot a course to the Breeders’ Cup.

Trained by Paddy Twomey, the five-year-old built on a comeback run in the Athasi Stakes to claim the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes from the front in great style at the Curragh last month, a victory that saw Just Beautiful trimmed to 5-1 for the Duke of Cambridge behind general favourite Inspiral.

However, with the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita highlighted as the mares’ main objective at the back-end of the season, a trip to Ascot is off the cards with Newmarket’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (July 14) or a cross-Channel raid to Deauville entering the agenda as a potential next port of call.

Twomey said: “She’s not going (to Ascot). I would say she will go to Deauville maybe. We may look at the Falmouth, but she might go to France for the Prix Maurice De Gheest (August 6) or Prix Rothschild (July 30).

“The long-term aim would be the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.”

While Just Beautiful will not be sighted at the Royal meeting, one who looks to have a fine chance of breaking Twomey’s duck at the summer showpiece is well-regarded two-year-old Noche Magica.

Noche Magica (purple) had to settle for second behind Givemethebeatboys (yellow) in the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh
Noche Magica (purple) had to settle for second behind Givemethebeatboys (yellow) in the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

An impressive winner at Cork on debut, he was agonisingly rUn down when sent off favourite for the Marble Hill over six furlongs next time, a reverse that will see him drop back in trip for the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot.

Twomey continued: “We’ll run Noche Magica in the Norfolk Stakes. He’s a nice horse with a high cruising speed and we’re looking forward to running him.”

Noche Magica on Norfolk Stakes trail

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Paddy Twomey will drop Noche Magica back to the minimum distance at Royal Ascot after he was caught late on in the Marble Hill Stakes on Saturday.

A debut winner over five furlongs at Cork, Twomey stepped him up to six furlongs for the Group Three at the Curragh.

Having travelled much the best throughout the race, he hit the front inside the final furlong but could not pull clear and was eventually reeled in late on by Jessica Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys.

Twomey now feels the decision has been made for him regarding Ascot, and it will be back to five furlongs for the Norfolk Stakes rather than the six of the Coventry.

“He won well over five in Cork and he shows us that blistering speed,” said Twomey.

“The Marble Hill was a fact-finding mission. He travelled and did everything right. He got to the front and just got nutted at the death.

“His mother (Pious Alexander) is a half-sister of Dandy Man and the family is all speed. I’d say we will go for the Norfolk.

“I was the most disappointed man at the Curragh but going forward, he probably did me a favour. I would have run him in the Coventry if he had won, but now we will go for the Norfolk.”

Just perfect from Paddy Twomey filly in Lanwades Stakes

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Just Beautiful produced a fine performance to hand Paddy Twomey back-to-back victories in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

It was also a third-straight success in the Group Two contest for jockey Billy Lee who had the Moyglare Stud-owned filly in the box seat throughout.

Having dictated terms on the front end, Lee had a willing partner when asking his mount to lengthen and although 1,250,000 guineas purchase Jumbly came home with an eyecatching run on debut for Joseph O’Brien, Just Beautiful was always in control to run out a cosy two-and-a-quarter-length scorer at odds of 4-1.

The winner holds an entry for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, but Twomey is keen to keep options open for his versatile mare.

He said: “I’m delighted for the filly, it’s great to get her back on track. We had an interrupted campaign last year and I asked Moyglare could they leave her with me.

“The fact she ran at all last year was amazing. She was third to Art Power on soft ground told us all we needed to know.

“She needed it the last day and on soft ground she can’t function.

“She’s in the Duke of Cambridge, but anything from six and a half to a mile on fast ground.”

French Claim puts down marker for staying honours at Navan

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Irish Derby third French Claim is to be campaigned over staying trips in future having landed short odds on his comeback at Navan.

Trained by Paddy Twomey, French Claim was beaten only five lengths in the St Leger at Doncaster before disappointing in the Irish Cesarewitch.

Sent off the 4-9 favourite, he had no trouble in winning the Navan Racecourse Race under Billy Lee, with his main predicted market rival Okita Soushi an absentee, and Twomey is now eyeing up the Vintage Crop Stakes back at Navan next month.

“It was a nice to get a lead (from front-running Oriental Eagle), he has form on that (soft) ground, won on it in Listowel and Cork but he is pretty versatile. He’s good fresh,” said Twomey.

“The end of last year was a bit of a mess so hopefully this year we’ll have a good year. I’d say he’ll come back here for the Vintage Crop Stakes.

“He was third in the Irish Derby, but he hasn’t won a stakes race yet, so we’ll try to win one and take the steps from there.

“Today was just to take the first step and hopefully he’ll improve. Staying isn’t a problem to him.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Gooloogong (5-2 favourite) stepped up markedly on his Dundalk debut to defy a market drift and win the NavanRacecourse.ie Maiden under Ryan Moore.

Fifth of 10 on the all-weather, the Australia colt – who is entered in the Derby and Irish Derby – was always to the fore this time around and pulled nicely clear with Dermot Weld’s Nation’s Call.

Gooloogong found more close home to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He obviously had the one run at Dundalk last year and it stood to him.

“He’s been progressing nicely over the winter and he’s a horse that we thought had come forward an awful lot.

“Ryan gave him a lovely ride and spoke very nicely of him. He’ll fit into one of the trials now and we’ll see how he goes.

“He’s a mile-and-a-quarter plus horse. He has a lovely attitude and is a typical Australia. He’s a nice horse to go forward with for the year, hopefully.”