PADDY Twomey only took out a full trainer’s licence four years ago but his results on the track have seen more and more owners beat a path to his stables in Golden, Co Tipperary, and he has a team of 60 for the flat season.
Among the silks hanging up in the colours room are those of Newsells Park Stud, Team Valor, Martin Schwartz, Trevor Stewart, Sonia and Anthony Rogers, Yeomanstown Stud, Andreas Putsch, Chris Wright and Noel O’Callaghan.
Paddy’s backstory is a most unusual one. From Innishannon in Co Cork, he began trading in cattle and horses as a teenager. “I was lucky from a young age,” he says. “I was 14 when I bred Tagula and I also bred Serious Attitude, who won the Cheveley Park Stakes.” That would be ‘lifetime achievement’ stuff for most breeders, but it seems to be already just a footnote in Paddy’s racing career.
Spotting an opportunity to race and sell fillies, he teamed up with Joanna Morgan and they had success before Joanna retired from training. “I had a pre-training operation going here at the time, and I couldn’t afford to pay training fees, so I applied for my own permit in 2012,” he explains.
Breeze-ups
His first runner was a winner and he developed a great interest in training, mainly working with breeze-up horses that didn’t make their reserve. He also dabbled in National Hunt racing, buying a couple of stores. “We won the four-year-old bumper at the Punchestown Festival and had the runner-up in the Land Rover, but I decided to focus on the flat as that is my background.”
Numbers gradually increased and, having outgrown his permit, he was forced to take out a full licence in 2016 and all the administration that goes with it. His partner Claire is a big help, as is bookkeeper Brian Reardon, and he says he has “as good a set of riders as you could ask for”.
The facilities have improved too. Paddy has a five-furlong woodchip gallop and a “very good” grass gallop. He is known as an extremely good judge and the results speak for themselves. He says he has already sent home approximately 25 horses this year, having decided they weren’t likely to be competitive.
Big results
Last year Paddy had horses placed in both the Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas, an astonishing achievement which, again, is something most trainers could only dream of achieving in their lives.
Success follows success in this game, and the quality of his 2020 string is very impressive. “Our ownership base has been growing steadily since 2018. I suppose people have taken note of what we have done. Previously when we sold horses they tended to be moved to other yards. Now, for the most part, the new owners are leaving the horses with us.”
Everything is in place for another big year, except for the racing itself. Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Paddy says his owners have been very understanding but patience was starting to wear thin this week. “All the owners were okay with no racing, as they could see it was the same all over Europe. But now other countries are starting back or making definite plans, and we don’t seem to know where we stand. A couple of my American owners are puzzled by the uncertainty here and I feel compromised not being able to give them a definite date or programme for their horses.”
Hopefully we will see racing resume shortly and you would be well advised to keep a close eye on everything Paddy runs this year. Here he picks out two dozen horses he is looking forward to campaigning.
Older horses
Best On Stage (GER)
4yo b f (544525-)
Pastorius – Best Moving (Reset)
Mrs Emma Kennedy
Peter Schiergen trained her to win in Germany as a two-year-old. She finished second in a listed race and was fourth in the German 1000 Guineas. She was sold for €120,000 at the Arqana December Sale. Rated 96, she is a nice filly and I would like to start her in a winners’ conditions race and get some Irish blacktype for her. I think she will get 10 furlongs and beyond.
Gallic (GB)
4yo b f (221060-)
Kodiac – Gallipot (Galileo)
Haras de Saint Pair
Andreas Putsch is a new owner to Irish racing. He bought this mare for 200,000gns at the Rothschild dispersal sale in Tattersalls last December. Ed Walker trained her to win over a mile and 10 furlongs. She could be most effective over seven furlongs and a mile. She’s rated 88 and we could look for a handicap before a listed race.
Loveisthehighelaw (GB)
4yo b f (114-)
Kodiac – Sweet Stream (Shantou)
Team Valor
She won her maiden first time out in Cork last May and she was bought by Team Valor. We waited for Killarney in August and she won again, defeating the 110-rated Blenheim Palace. I don’t run fillies too often, and we waited for the Bluebell Stakes in Naas in October, where she finished fourth, beaten a length. Even though she had a light campaign, she has been in training for two years and I don’t feel she was at her best in Naas that day. She’s in great form now and I’m looking forward to running her in stakes races. A mile and a half or further will be right up her alley. Her mother was a Group 1 winner at four and stayed 14 furlongs.
Silk Forest (IRE)
4yo b f (2211-)
Kodiac – Rosa Parks (Sadler’s Wells)
Tan Kai Chah
I gave her a Guineas entry before she ever ran, so I am not surprised she turned out to be a stakes winner. She has always been a nice filly. She finished second first time out in a hot race in Leopardstown last April and then went to Limerick where she picked up some injuries. She had three months off before she went back to Leopardstown and beat colts from an outside draw in tidy fashion. I picked out the Garnet Stakes after that and I thought she would go close, but she did surprise me when winning by five lengths. I had intended starting her back in the Athasi Stakes so we shall have to see what the programme book has for her when racing starts. Although the ground was soft to heavy at Naas, I think she is fairly adaptable as regards ground.
Evasive Power (USA)
4yo b g (669020-)
Elusive Quality – Casting Director (Bernardini)
Genesis Racing Club
He joined me from Denis Hogan, having previously been with Michael O’Callaghan. He ran off 90 as a two-year-old and is now rated 74, so he should give us some fun in handicaps, where we haven’t had much involvement in the past.
Sonaiyla (IRE)
4yo gr f (613901-)
Dark Angel – Sinaniya (More Than Ready)
Ennistown Stud
She won a Curragh maiden and a Leopardstown handicap for the Aga Khan and Michael Halford last season, before being sold for €110,000 at the Goffs November Sale. A nice filly, she’s working well and hopefully will be stakes class for her new owners.
Strongbowe (FR)
4yo b g (3-)
Siyouni – Landing Site (Peintre Celebre)
Rolline O’Callaghan
He finished third in a good Cork maiden and unfortunately had a setback which ruled him out for the rest of last season. He was declared to run at the Dundalk meeting which was called off when racing was suspended in March. He’s one to look forward to.
Three-year-old fillies
Allez Sophia (IRE)
3yo b f (42331-)
Kingman – Allez Alaia (Pivotal)
Trevor Stewart
A very well-bred filly, out of a daughter of Cassandra Go and from the family of Halfway To Heaven. She had five runs for Eve Johnson Houghton last season and ended up rated 81. She’s being kept in training with the aim of getting Irish blacktype.
Moll (IRE)
3yo b f (062-1)
3yo f Camelot – Jamm (Duke Of Marmalade)
Team Valor
She won a Dundalk maiden for Mark Cahill in January, after which Team Valor acquired her and sent her to me. Dundalk has been good for trade, the best horse generally wins, and it’s great to see the surface is being upgraded. She’s a very nice filly, well above average, and her form is good. I’d have hopes of her doing well in three-year-old graded races.
Raven’s Cry (IRE)
3yo b f (2117-5)
Raven’s Pass – Sagami (Street Cry)
Martin Schwartz
She was fifth in the Park Express on the first day of the turf season and she’ll be a nice filly on better ground at up to 10 furlongs. She’s rated 93 and hopefully she can win a stakes race. Her owner is American but the plan had been to keep her in Ireland with the Belmont Oaks a possible target in the autumn. At the moment that’s up in the air.
Sunday Sweet (IRE)
3yo b f (43-)
Elzaam – Radiant Energy (Spectrum)
Edward Walsh
She finished fourth in a maiden at the Guineas meeting first time out. That was good form and she changed ownership after that. Then she had a setback and wasn’t out again until September when she finished third in a big field at Naas. I decided against her running again afterwards. She still holds a Guineas entry and, while I’d like to win a maiden with her first, I wouldn’t rule out running her in the Irish 1000 Guineas if that race comes up quickly when racing starts.
Red Line Alexander (IRE)
3yo b f (34-)
Sea The Stars – Tayma (Exceed And Excel)
Noel O’Callaghan
Simon Crisford trained her last season and she was third first time out before maybe disappointing slightly a month later. The owner has transferred her here and she should win her maiden.
Lougher (IRE)
3yo ch f (33146-)
Teofilo – Lightstream (Shamardal)
Shawn Curry
She won a Killarney winners’ race for Richard O’Brien last July and was moved here at the end of her two-year-old career. A nice filly, she will hopefully stay 10 furlongs and the aim is to get some blacktype later in the year.
Three-year-old colts
Actuary (IRE)
3yo b c
Helmet – Welsh Angel (Dubai Destination)
P. Twomey
He cost 57,000gns as a yearling and is a half-brother to three horses rated over 100, including Alan King’s Scarlet Dragon. He is showing up well in his homework and will likely start off in a maiden over seven furlongs or a mile. He should progress through the season.
Moore Street Wise (IRE)
3yo b c
More Than Ready – Dane Street (Street Cry)
Anthony & Sonia Rogers
Owner Airlie Stud
He is an unraced half-brother to Skitter Scatter. A nice colt, he had a Guineas entry at one stage but I think a 10-furlong maiden will be his target as soon as racing starts back. He is talented. A smart horse who can do well this summer.
Two year old colts
Arctician
2yo c
Dark Angel - Atlantic Drift (Oasis Dream)
Newsells Park Stud
The first foal out of the mare, who is a half-sister to Lightning Spear. I’ve had him about six weeks and he has pleased me.
Earth Cry (IRE)
2yo b c
Pride of Dubai – Freefourracing (French Deputy)
Dr K.C. Tan
A €220,000 yearling. He’s an imposing colt and I’d hope he’s one for the second half of the year.
Repute (IRE)
2yo c
Acclamation – Tigrilla (Clodovil)
P. Twomey
He cost 45,000gns. His dam was rated 107 as a two-year-old. He should be out early in a six-furlong maiden.
Tijuana (GB)
2yo c
Territories – Virginia Hall (Medicean)
P. Twomey
His dam was rated 105 at two. He’s a forward colt, working nicely, and I imagine he will start off in June. A particularly nice horse, he cost £70,000 as a yearling.
Two-year-old fillies
Quickstep Girl (IRE)
2yo f
New Bay – Paraphernalia (Dalakhani)
Mrs Emma Kennedy
She is a half-sister to Max Vega, an exciting Derby prospect trained by Ralph Beckett, and also to Jessica Harrington’s Camphor, who is rated 100. She is doing everything very easily and will run in a seven-furlong maiden as soon as they commence.
Media Blitz (IRE)
2yo f
Kingman – Macrame (Montjeu)
Shawn Curry
The dam is a half-sister to Refuse To Bend and Media Puzzle. She’s a strongly-made filly who finds work at home easy. She should be ready to start in midsummer over six furlongs. She’s particularly nice.
Irreverence (IRE)
2yo f
Equiano - Impressible (Oasis Dream)
Charles & Paul O’Callaghan
An Orby Sale purchase for €46,000 from Barronstown Stud. She’s a full-sister to Dark Reckoning, a Firth of Clyde winner. She’s sharp and will run over five furlongs as soon as the season starts.
Feileacain (IRE)
2yo f
Awtaad – Alexiade (Montjeu)
Paul Motherway
One of three I have by Awtaad and I am very pleased with what I have seen of them to-date. A particularly nice filly, she is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Alexios Komnenos. I think she will be more of a backend season filly.
Gauff (IRE)
2yo b f
Siyouni – Anneli (Galileo)
Martin Schwartz
A £250,000 yearling and a strongly-made filly who is named after the young tennis player Coco Gauff. Again, I’d hope she will be one for the second half of the year.