ANOTHER outstanding season for Paddy Twomey yielded another notable success that offered the promise of more to come in the autumn as Rumbles Of Thunder totally outclassed her opposition in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes.

This Twomey-owned daughter of Night Of Thunder won at stakes level at Gowran Park much earlier in the season and had since run two honourable races in defeat at the Curragh but a return to a mile and a half would suggest she could be a coming force at this trip.

The four-year-old travelled supremely well for Billy Lee throughout the race and for much of the straight she looked to have everything covered.

She eventually went to the front with around a furlong to run and went on to record a smooth two-and-a-quarter-length triumph over the Irish Oaks third, Cairde Go Deo.

This moved the trainer on to the 26-winner mark for the season and a remarkable nine of those victories have been achieved at listed or group level.

“I thought she ran a courageous race over nine furlongs the last day when she was fourth in the Kilboy and Billy said she travelled in as well as anything but said they tapped him for toe,” said Twomey.

“On this faster ground I think she is very comfortable between 10 furlongs and this trip. I’m hoping there could be more to come from her on softer ground in the autumn.”

Brave Babes

Ali Babes (12/1), a half-sister to the Group 1-winning sprinter A Case Of You, claimed a precious winning bracket in the three-year-old-only six-furlong handicap.

Owned and trained by Paddy Hassett, the filly raced close to the pace for Gavin Ryan. She was under pressure sooner than some of her rivals but stuck to her task in splendidly determined fashion to carry the day by half a length.

Platinum form from Mutasarref

CHAMPION jockey Colin Keane picked up a brace over the course of the evening and this took in the listed seven-furlong Platinum Stakes aboard the Ger Lyons-trained Mutasarref (6/5).

This Eleanora Kennedy-owned son of Dark Angel has now won four of his six starts this season and lined up here rated 105 having begun his season with a victory at Leopardstown off a mark of 80.

The strong-travelling son of Dark Angel eased to the front well over a furlong out and readily disposed of market rival Cigamia to carry the day by three lengths.

“All roads lead to Champions Weekend for him now and we’ll have a talk about what race he goes for there,” said the trainer’s brother Shane of the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile entrant. “He was well recommended by Colin last year and was very well bought by David Spratt for Eleanora Kennedy.”

Mighty result

Keane was also successful on Might And Mercy (16/5) who maintained a fine run of form for Noel Meade in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap over seven furlongs.

In the colours of former flat handicapper and long-time Meade patron Ciaran Kennelly, this daughter of Pearl Secret certainly wasn’t winning out of turn having posted three runner-up efforts in her first seven outings.

Might And Mercy travelled very nicely through the race and then applied herself when required over the course of the last furlong to subdue a game Sistine Madonna. This filly could easily add to her haul over the coming weeks.

AIDAN O’Brien and Wayne Lordan made it two doubles in as many days as they bookended the card with a pair of narrow successes. The first to strike was Tiger Paw (6/1) who returned from three months off and a gelding operation to capture the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over five furlongs.

Also wearing first-time cheekpieces, the son of Sioux Nation drifted left nearing the furlong pole which momentarily carried him into the path of the challenging Silmaniya. The latter quickly righted herself to mount a strong challenge but at the line she was still a short head adrift of Tiger Paw.

A stewards’ enquiry was called but the placings remained unchanged.

“He is still a bit babyish. He has plenty of talent and possibly he’ll head for the Round Tower Stakes at the end of the month. He’s a horse with plenty of speed,” declared stable representative Chris Armstrong.

Gulliver gets in

Gulliver’s Travels brought up the brace in the mile-and-a-half maiden where he justified 2/1 favouritism. The brother to Magic Wand was wearing blinkers for his third appearance on the track and had to be resilient after racing on the pace throughout.

At various points in the straight he looked to be in trouble but he kept pulling out more and one by one his rivals gave best.

The newcomer Star Kissed arrived with a strong challenge entering the last furlong but her lack of experience counted against her as she drifted left just as she was joining the winner. Star Kissed came again late on but her effort came up a head short.

“He had a lovely run the first day, we put a line through his Limerick run last time and Wayne gave him a lovely ride. The horse keeps plenty for himself and Wayne made his mind up,” reflected Chris Armstrong. “He will be one for the staying handicaps for the back end of the year.”

Quick going

Bargain buy Hastily, who was picked up for 1,000gns as an unraced juvenile last winter, made her fifth start a winning one in the 47-65 rated seven-furlong handicap where she credited trainer Tom McGuinness with his second winner.

Joe Doyle was on board the 12/1 chance who led well inside the final furlong for a length-and-a-half success over Chicago Lightening. This daughter of Charm Spirit is owned by Stephen McGuinness and, interestingly, ran without shoes.