Twomey Targeting Irish Guineas With Strong Team Of Fillies

County Tipperary trainer Paddy Twomey is unlikely to be represented in the G1 Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, having stated his intention to wait for the Irish equivalent–run at the Curragh on Sunday, May 26–before stepping up to the top level with a trio of talented fillies in his care.

They include A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}), who gained her third success from as many starts when returning from eight months off to win the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” S. at Leopardstown last time, digging deep to beat the Listed winner Kitty Rose (GB) (Invincible Army {Ire}) by a head.

“I was very happy with how she did it in the Guineas trial the other day at Leopardstown,” Twomey said of that performance. “She won in spite of the ground, I would say. She's got form last year where she beat Opera Singer on pretty quick ground and then she's won on heavy ground, so she's pretty versatile.

“She's a classy filly and, every time she's started a race, she's done exactly what we thought she would do. I'd say the Irish 1,000 Guineas is the race she'll go for next. She's entered there and she's not entered in Newmarket.”

A Lilac Rolla could be joined at the Curragh by two other unbeaten stable-mates in the shape of One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}). Both fillies raced only once at two and have already been in action in 2024 when making the most of good opportunities to win at Cork and Naas, respectively.

“My thinking now is that she won't go to Newmarket,” Twomey said of One Look, who made a sparkling debut as a two-year-old when winning the Goffs Million at the Curragh by six lengths. “I think she'll stay in Ireland and either go to the Athasi Stakes or more likely the Cornelscourt Stakes at Leopardstown, with a view to going to the Irish Guineas.

“I feel that I'd like to educate her a bit more along the way. I don't want to land her into an English Guineas just now. Those are the two races I would run her in if she is going to run before the Irish Guineas and the preference would be the three-year-old only race [Cornelscourt].

“She's one that I would hope will progress all year and I'm just not in a hurry to rush off to England and give her a grueller. I would like to take the next step with her career in mind.”

Twomey confirmed similar plans for Purple Lily, adding, “She will go for an Irish Guineas and not an English Guineas. She's a filly that will stay 10 furlongs in time and she's very exciting. I'd like to get another run into her of some description, but she could go straight to the Guineas now.”

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Agave Will Skip The Cazoo Oaks

Group 3 winner Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been removed from the G1 Cazoo Oaks field, leaving 18 fillies in the hunt for the fillies' Classic, following the release of the current acceptances on Friday. The Juddmonte homebred won her first three starts, including the G3 Prix Penelope on Apr. 2, but she was last seen running second in the G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud this past Sunday. Impressive G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. victress and 'TDN Rising Star' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), for John and Thady Gosden, remains the market leader.

Another filly out of a Classic is Group 3 winner Hermana Estrella (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who will miss the G1 French 1000 Guineas on Sunday and instead point for the Irish equivalent on May 22, as trainer Fozzy Stack deemed the underfoot conditions to be too dry for his filly. Although she has only made one start, the Paul Smith, Joe Poulin and J. Carthy colourbearer made it count, taking the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last May.

“It was just the weather forecast,” he said. “The forecast is very dry and very hot for the weekend in Paris–around 28C or 29C–and so we are just going to wait for the Curragh on the following Sunday. She is in good form.”

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Loughnane Reveals Plans For Stable Stars

Trainer David Loughnane has pencilled in some big-race engagements for his stable stars Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) in the coming months.

The former, an Amo Racing colourbearer, won the G2 Rockfel S. at Newmarket in September and was not disgraced when fifth in a close finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 5. Also placed in both the G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. earlier last year, she is being pointed toward a 1000 Guineas trial and has been entered in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh in late May.

Another Amo Racing luminary with co-owner P Waney, Go Bears Go took second in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot, before added the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh to his ledger in the summer. Third in the G1 Phoenix S. in August, the bay was fourth in Newmarket's G1 Middle Park S. on Sept. 25 and was a puzzling seventh in the G1 Dewhurst S. on Oct. 9. The colt bounced back with flare in his juvenile finale, missing by a half-length in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November. Loughnane is opting to keep Go Bears Go at sprint trips, and Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup is an early-season goal. If all goes well, the colt's long-term aim is another trip to the Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Keeneland in 2022.

“Hello You and Go Bears Go have both looked fantastic on their winter holidays, they've grown and strengthened loads and turned into what we hoped they would,” he said. “We always felt they were going to be nicer 3-year-olds and they certainly look like they've developed into that. They're coming along really well and we're really excited for the season ahead.

“They gave us a great times last year, some of our biggest and best days in racing so far and we feel there's definitely more to come and that's great for the team and for everyone involved.

“Hello You will be targeted at a Guineas trial and Go Bears Go, his long-term target will be the Commonwealth Cup and hopefully back to the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year, so we'll just map things out around those.”

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