From outriding a pony to the Breeders' Cup, Twomey glad to be back in California

Two decades after spending a summer on the back stretch at Del Mar, Paddy Twomey is drawing on that experience, as the man renowned for picking his targets with forensic precision launches an audacious assault with Pearls Galore.

A native of Innishannon on the fringe of west Cork, Twomey feels at home in south California's sun-kissed coastal region.

The balmy climate and palm tree-speckled seaboard may undermine attempts to suggest the regions possess kindred qualities, but they are synonymous with a bohemian or eclectic lifestyle. Twomey is no hippy, but he is endearingly laid-back and has never been a slave to big career goals.