Trainer Paddy Twomey lands double at Cork Racecourse

Cork native Paddy Twomey, who trains in Golden in Tipperary, boasts a formidable strike rate at Cork Racecourse. 

He continued that impressive sequence when landing the two featured races on Thursday. The ultra-progressive filly Elana Osario, who won at Killarney recently, landed the €65,000 Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes under Colin Keane. Super Sox, who won the Listed Platinum Stakes 12 months ago, repeated the feat this evening under Chris Hayes to complete a memorable night for Paddy Twomey.

In the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes, Island Hopping, as was widely anticipated, set the fractions up front. The race developed into a match as Elana Osario loomed large two furlongs out. 

Keane struck the front inside the final furlong. The eventual winner was bumped by Island Hopping well inside the final furlong. Twomey's filly stayed on well under Keane to beat Island Hopping by half a length. 

Owner Robert Moran plans to keep her in training next year. He also plans to keep his smart filly Catalina Delcarpio in training next season. She was injured when finishing third in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot.

Twomey initiated his big race double when Super Sox replicated last year's victory in the Listed NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes under Chris Hayes. 

It turned into a shootout with Gutsy Girl but Super Sox was game and held on by a head.

Twomey believes Cork suits her.

"She likes flat, straight tracks and good ground and she stepped forward from Naas." 

IMPRESSIVE

The most impressive winner on the night was Precise in the IrishEBF 2Y0 fillies Maiden. It looked an above-average maiden beforehand and produced a smart winner. 

Precise was very impressive under a positive ride from Jack Cleary. "The extra furlong suited. She has plenty of pace. She changed her legs at the two and she took off," he said. 

The Ingabelle at Leopardstown on Champions Weekend is a possible target for the winner. Her runners-up berth at Fairyhouse has worked out particularly well. She's the third winner to come out of that maiden.

Cleary completed a memorable double for Ballydoyle when Two For Joy made most of the running to secure the Irish Stallion Farms Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.

There was a boilover in the opening race as David Marnane’s Soulful Diva produced a 50/1shock in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. She had shown a modicum of promise at Naas on her debut in May, but disappointed subsequently. 

Nathan Crosse made his move a furlong out and stayed on in great style to fend off the well-supported 11/8 favourite Dawn Romance by a head. The runner-up flashed home and can be deemed an unlucky loser