Coco beats Love in Blandford thriller

La Petite Coco edged a last-gasp win over top filly Love in the Curragh's Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes today, registering a career highlight for emerging force and plucky trainer Paddy Twomey.

Five-time Group 1 winner Love, under Ryan Moore, was sent clear of La Petite Coco with a furlong to race but La Petite Coco, under jockey Bill Lee, finished stronger dipping her head to lead at the line and gain a famous short-head win.

Twomey has been a breakthrough name in recent times and following the race revealed “my office is the tractor and I was sitting looking at the phone on Friday morning scratching my head when I saw Love declared. I didn't expect to see her and there might have been an expletive!

“When I make a plan I tend to stick to it and wasn't going to waver although Barry Irwin (of owner Team Valor) was quite cross with me when he saw Love declared.

“I got a lecture about what was I at, what was I thinking, but I told him I thought she was good enough.”

Twomey, who sent out Pearls Galore to finish second in yesterday's Matron Stakes, added “the plan has been to go to Ascot for the Fillies & Mares and I think 1m4f is really her thing and not 1m2f. She has a strong stout staying family and is learning all the time and knows what she is doing now.

“We have 31 or 32 riding out and we have about ten horses aged over two. They are a good bunch, a good ten.”

Jockey Lee added "we hit the crossbar with two seconds yesterday so it was nice to get the win. She is a hardy filly, I got a lovely thread through, followed Ryan (Moore, on Love) every step of the way.

"Ryan had me flat out but I knew she wouldn't give up. With 50 yards I still didn't think I'd get there but it was on the bob and she wants every yard of 1m4f.

"We thought a lot of her, she was impressive in Cork the last day and she backed it up nicely in what I thought was a high quality field."

Quotes from Alan Magee