Paddy Twomey guides Donn McClean through his hopes and expectations for the 2006 Flat season.
There was a point earlier this month when the Paddy Twomey-trained horses as a collective hit nine wins from 10 runs. Moody won the Listed Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran Park and Dark Lucinda won the fillies’ maiden on the same card later in the day. Trojan Fighter was his only runner at Ballinrobe three days later, and he won by seven lengths.
Then Arouet won his maiden hurdle at Cork – another first for the trainer – an hour before City Of Memphis won the Group 3 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown. And about 35 minutes after that, Catalina Delcarpio won the Listed Amethyst Stakes and took the trainer’s strike rate to 90%.
He's languishing in the 40-45% range now.
Nearly every season since Paddy Twomey started training has been a step up on the previous season, and his strike rates have been off the charts. Last year, he had 40 winners in Ireland, a best-ever total, and he had a strike rate of 31%, which equalled his best-ever strike rate of 2023 and set him apart among his peers. Indeed, Aidan O’Brien was the only other trainer with more than 10 runners who had had a strike rate of greater than 20% on the flat in Ireland in 2025.
This season, it looks like the Paddy Twomey team is as strong as it has ever been.
