Deepone© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Paddy Twomey began the flat season with a Curragh winner on opening day yesterday and has issued an update on his principal runners, including last year's Beresford Stakes winner Deepone.
Vimal Khosla-owned Deepone won three of his five starts last year, culminating in a Group 2 success in the Beresford Stakes in September and Twomey reports his colt to have wintered well.
He says “Deepone has done very well over the winter and may start in the Ballysax next month. He’s strong, he’s well and is doing what I’m asking him to do well. The Ballysax would be a logical starting point for him.”
Glenagles-filly One Look collected €616,000 for winning the Goffs Million on her debut run last September and the trainer is aiming for a lesser target during Easter, saying “One Look has done well and I’d hope she will run in the next ten days or so. She might go to Cork on Easter Saturday. There is an median auction winners’ race there for her and it would be a nice place to start with her.
“Hopefully that will go well and she’s entered in the English, Irish and French Guineas. She’s been training nicely and the next few weeks will tell a lot.
“King Cuan is in good form and is training with Deepone. Whether he’ll start in a Guineas Trial or wait for a sprint race I’m not sure yet.
“We haven’t done any fast work with him yet but he’s in great form and we are looking forward to the year ahead. He’s wintered well. The syndicate had a great time. They had some offers but have decided they were having a good time and I thought the horse still had plenty left to give.
“They are going to live the dream. It’s hard to get a horse like him and hopefully he’ll take them to some big days this year.
“Purple Lily (a debut Galway maiden winner in August) might run next Sunday in Naas in a winners’ race. Some of them have won first time out and I would like them to run in winners’ races as opposed to Stakes races if they could on their second start.”
Regarding his progress in recent years, Twomey added “we started with very few horses seven years ago. Every year we have more and touch wood the quality keeps going up. I enjoy training horses and enjoy training good horses, so we’ll keep trying to improve. We have the bones of 100 horses this year.
“The opportunity came up for Seamie (Heffernan) to join us. Billy and himself get on well and ride work well together. They are good friends and he has lots of experience so hopefully it is something that will go forward.
“Scott McCullagh is also there and Emmet McNamara is there some Saturdays so between them they are a good bunch.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
