Magical Hope delivers big win for Cork trainer Paddy Twomey in Mallow

Cork native Paddy Twomey who trains in Tipperary has enjoyed a productive period on his forays to Cork Racecourse this season. 

That trend continued at the Mallow venue on Friday evening where Magical Hope landed the featured €60K Group 3 Darley Munster Oaks Stakes. She was partnered by the man of the moment Colin Keane and was a strong late market order going off at 3/1 having been supported at 9/2. 

Riding arrangements suggested she was the yard's second string behind the 11/10 favourite Bubble Gum who'd landed the Noblesse Stakes here in April. Keane sent her straight to the front and he kicked for touch on the run to the furlong marker. To her credit she gave generously as the pursuers were simply unable to reel her back in.

Her victory completed a double for Colin Keane who got his new retained role with Juddmonte off to a winning start in Newbury on Thursday. 

Keane got the evening off in North Cork on the front foot with the smart newcomer Suzie Songs for Ger Lyons in the Moyglare Stud Silks. Keane and Lyons had won this juvenile filles maiden with the smart Babouche 12 months ago. 

They say trainers tend to be creatures of habit. Suzie Songs and Havana Anna engaged in a battle royale inside the final furlong. It was vintage Colin Keane as he produced the Starspangledbanner filly to get up. close home.

WELL SUPPORTED

She'd been well supported into 5/2 for and won by a neck from the 85/40 favourite Havana Anna who had run well on debut at Navan. The €1m newcomer, Skydance was five-and-a-half lengths away in third at 9/4 and is expected to improve enormously having drifted markedly on the exchanges. She can improve significantly going forward and should not be discounted. 

The front pair look like two smart juvenile fillies and a maiden victory should be a formality for the runner-up.

Keane completed his double in the aforementioned featured Group 3 contest as Magical Hope beat Lemsairbat 18/1 by two-and-a-quarter lengths with Enfranchise 17/2 finishing third in the Munster Oaks.

Magical Hope was having her second start in Ireland having run really well when third in Listed company at the Curragh on 1,000 Guineas day. She had shown promise in France and Germany for Henri-Alex Pantall. She'd started out life with Charlie Appleby. 

Afterwards Twomey expressed satisfaction with her improvement from that Curragh outing. "She had a very good run at the Curragh on quicker ground than ideal. She was taking on Trustyourinstinct, she got tired in the last hundred yards that day." 

Twomey paid tribute to a masterclass from the front from Keane "Colin gave her a lovely ride and kept it uncomplicated." 

The winner is well entered up and the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes could figure on her radar on Derby Weekend. Bubble Gum proved to be a bitter disappointment, she lost her place and never travelled with the fluency she'd displayed here in April. The rain may have come at the worst possible time for her.