WHEN the final forfeits came out on Tuesday for the first classics of the season at the Curragh, how refreshing was it to see Paddy Twomey, Tom Cleary, Richard O’Brien and Michael O’Callaghan with runners.

O’Callaghan has been here before, but this is new ground for O’Brien, Cleary and Twomey.

The last-named had a runner apiece in both classics, courtesy of Decrypt and Foxtrot Liv, and this interview was conducted before both horses finished an excellent third in their respective classics.

2000 Guineas hopeful Decrypt and Billy Lee on their way to victory / Healy Racing

Twomey is a young man going places. He lets his horses do the talking and few trainers head into this weekend in better form.

Since May 6th, four of his seven runners have won (57% strike rate). He’s only run 12 horses so far this season, but five have won and he operating off a 42% strike rate.

Foxtrot Liv finished a respectable fifth in the Athasi Stakes on ground that was too slow for her. But she since ran out a comfortable winner at Killarney on her favoured good ground.

Both Lovethehigherlaw and Double Martini, won their maidens at the first time of asking.

Make no mistake, Twomey has always been a good trainer, but his results this year, suggest that it is possible that he has assembled a team of horses, that might just take him to the next level.

This weekend is unlikely to make or break him – it’s just so difficult to break into the big league over here.

I remember Gordon Elliott pointing out in a pre-Cheltenham interview, that you have take on the best over here, day in, day out. You can count on one hand, the number of double meetings in Ireland – options over here are limited and to win maidens with a debutant, takes come doing.

You get the impression that Twomey has a real chance of making a big impact this season and it’s very encouraging for him that he has horses that have earned the right to contest both Guineas.

Ken Condon noted last year, after he won the 2,000 Guineas with Romanised, that there are any number of trainers in Ireland that can train good horses to win big races – getting your hands on the horses is the hard part.

Twomey has bred two Group 1 winners, Tagula and Serious Attitude. He initially trained under a permit and took out a full licence in 2016. He trades plenty of horses but you sense that he can do a proper job with a horse, if they are left with him.

His motto is a simple one. “I like to do things right and on my terms. I don’t like to be told what the horses should be doing or when they run. The horses tell me what I can do with them and we have a routine here that I like and we have a good team at home. Billy Lee is a very good rider and he rides all of mine when he’s available and he knows the way I like them to be ridden,” he stated.

“We get on well and Billy is a confident rider and I tell him how the horse is and he does the rest. I trust him and we get on. We know each other and he’s one of the best riders around.”

The majority of his string are two-year olds and he stated: “We have a nice bunch of two-year-olds that will be out in the coming weeks and months. I’m happy with them at this point.”

“We look at every horse individually. We have a nice bunch of horses and the results so far this season have been encouraging. Up to a few years ago, we were only training a handful of horses, but thankfully, we have more horses this year.

“We have a good system here and very good staff and I’m very happy with how the season has gone to date.”

He added: “We had our first runners in early April and the horses have run as we’d have hoped they would. The mild spring was a help to everyone and we’ve had a good start and hopefully they will continue to run well.”

Three-year-olds

DOUBLE MARTINI | 3yo ch c |Mastercraftsman - Dusty Moon | Ms M McDowall| Form: 1

I was very happy with him when he won on his debut last Saturday at Navan. He did what I thought he’d do. He probably wants a bit further than five furlongs, but he won for a new owner in the yard and I was delighted to get Morna a winner. He’s a nice horse.

EDITORIAL | 4yo b g |Bated Breath - Bright Edge |P Twomey | Form: 158

He won on his debut as a three-year-old, but he suffered a bad quarter crack after that and it took him a while to get over that. He ran on Friday in a mile handicap.

FOXTROT LIV |3yo ch f |Foxwedge – Bestfootforward |Martin Schwartz Form: 2122-51

I was very happy with the way that she won at Killarney and her owner Martin Schwartz is very keen to go for the Irish Guineas. Her form last year was very good. She was second to Hermosa (in the Weld Stakes at Naas) and she had Iridessa behind her when second in a listed race on Irish Champion Stakes day. She likes top of the ground and conditions should be in her favour. She has a very good record at the Curragh and she’ll take her chance. The ground was too slow for her when fifth in the Athasi Stakes – she just can’t quicken on slow ground.

Foxtrot Liv finished third in the Irish 1000 Guineas

Foxtrot Liv - "her form last year was very good" / Healy Racing

HAUSHGEMSHACHT | 3yo b c | Exceed And Excel – Inchmahome

He is a half-brother to Venus De Milo (second in the Irish Oaks, placed in the Nassau Stakes and Pretty Polly Stakes). He is shaping well for the second half of the season.

ISLE OF SHADOWS | 3yo b f | Tamayuz - Safiya Song |P Twomey | Form: 60548-2

She ran well at Sligo on Tuesday (finished second). You’d be hoping that she might improve for that and she should be competitive in that grade over six and seven furlongs. She’d be adaptable ground-wise.

LOVEISTHEHIGERLAW | 3yo b f / Kodiac - Sweet Stream | Charles O’Callaghan & Noel O’Callaghan Form: 1

She is a likeable filly which won well at Cork. I thought she’d run well that night and I was delighted that she went and won. She is a very nice type and she has a lovely pedigree. The plan is to step her up in class and we’ll try to get a bit of blacktype. She might be an even better filly next year. Like all of mine, when they run first time, she was green, so she will improve plenty for that.

MAIREAD KATE | 3yo ch f | Zebedee - Lally Mut | Mrs Derval Barry | Form: 4

She ran a very good race on her debut at Gowran. The first, the second and the fifth have all won since. She was green that night and she will improve plenty for it. She should turn up in a fillies’ maiden in the next month. Either side of a mile and an ease in the ground, look to be her conditions.

SILK FOREST | 3yo b f | Kodiac - Rosa Parks |Tan Kai Chah | Form:22

She ran very well on her debut at Leopardstown and she backed that up with another good effort when second in a Limerick maiden. She picked up a minor setback after that, so it will be the second half of the year before we’ll see her back on the racecourse. She’s a very nice filly to look forward to.

STRONGBOW | 3yo b c (3) | Siyouni - Landing Site | Rolline O’Callaghan | Form: 3

He ran a very nice race on his debut, when third to Brogue at Cork. The fourth has won since and he looks a useful prospect. We’ll look for a maiden for him.

SURMISE | 3yo g | Camelot - Miss Corrine | Paddy Twomey/Denis McDonnell

He’s a half-brother to Wentworth and Sandiva. He works like a horse that should win a summer maiden. We are in no rush but we like him.

Two-year-olds

SUNDAY SOVEREIGN | 2yo b c | Equiano - Red Sovereign | King Power | Form: 41

I was very happy with his victory at the Curragh. He had a very nice run the first day and he improved for that and went and won well and he looks a smart horse. Plans are fluid for him in the short term – he might take in a winners’ race in a few weeks’ time, but the aim is to take him to Royal Ascot. I’d imagine that he’ll have entries in the Windsor Castle, the Norfolk and the Coventry. He has been sold since he won. He is in very good form and we’ll see how he is and he could go straight to Ascot. He will be staying with me for the moment.

Sunday Sovereign and Billy Lee winning on debut / Healy Racing

SUNDAY SWEET | 2yo b f | Elzaam - Radiant Energ | Sunday Racing Club Form: 4

She is a nice filly by Elzaam and she started off on Friday. We like her and she ran a nice race.

Older horses

RULER OF FRANCE | 8yo b g | Holy Roman Emperor – Syvilla | Paddy Twomey Form: /67118/6535/315-

He has developed into a very good servant and he likes Ballinrobe. He’s in very good form and we’ll have a look at the programme book and find something suitable for him up there. He has won six for us and he pays his way and hopefully he can win again for us this year.

GOBI DESERT | 4yo b c |Oasis Dream - Household Name |Mrs Annette O’Callaghan| Form: 121/

He has been with me a good while and I am looking forward to running him in the Greenland Stakes at the weekend. He’s always been a talented horse and I don’t think he’s ground dependent and Saturday’s race looks a suitable race to start him back in. He has been off the track for close on 600 days, but I think he’s in good form and he’s ready to run.