Carmers makes winning debut for Twomey and O'Connor Jockey Donagh O'Connor had to be at his strongest when getting the Paddy Twomey trained Carmers home in front to make a winning debut in the West Tyre Maiden at Ballinrobe. A well-related son of Wootton Bassett, the 10/1 chance was blinkered on his belated racecourse debut in this mile-and-a-half maiden. Held up in mid division, O'Connor was hard at work as Carmers went second over two-furlongs out. Odds-on favourite Daddy Long Legs looked beaten back in third but Gavin Ryan had kicked from the front on Kilmeaden. Ridden over a furlong out, Carmers responded to pressure, staying on strongly to eventually get his head in front inside the last 50 yards. The win completed a double for Paddy Twomey following the earlier success of Elana Osario. “He did it well, to be fair to him. He’s a big raw horse and he’s learning the whole time,” said O’Connor. “It took a while to gather him up. I thought at the top of the hill I was going to be caught flat footed but when I got a squeeze into him he has picked up and got by the runner-up well and just had a look. “He’s gawking and taking it all in so there is plenty of improvement there. He took plenty of pulling up too which is always a good sign. “We knew that horse had ability, it was just about getting it out of him. He’s a big baby and blinkers helped him around here. If you go back to a galloping track, and he learns plenty, you could maybe take them off. “He’s just a big raw baby and he’s learning on the job. We were expecting a nice run and for him to be coming home well and he did that. He obviously exceeded expectations, on my behalf. I thought he just ran into a place it would be a big run. “We knew he'd come forward plenty from the run so I was delighted with him.” When asked if he would get further he added:- “Yeah, 100 percent. I’ll leave that up to Paddy to see if he sharpens up at home and stuff like that. “I got through the line well and took plenty of pulling up so I wouldn’t see why not.” It was his first winner for Twomey and he said:- “I’m delighted to get it for him. He’s a fantastic trainer and it’s great to sit on those quality horses, the two days a week I’m in there. “I’m learning plenty as well. Billy (Lee) is a great man to be riding work with too. Hopefully we can keep it up, I hit the crossbar a couple of weeks ago and it was nice to get the winner.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
