Palmer fires two in follow-up Oaks bid Hugo Palmer is double-handed in his bid to retain the title of Darley Irish Oaks winner at the Curragh today. Palmer runs Architecture and We Are Ninety in a bid to follow up Covert Love's success 12 months ago. Architecture ran a fantastic race to fill the runner-up spot behind Aidan O'Brien's top-class filly Minding at Epsom and while she could not lay a glove on Irish Oaks favourite Even Song in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, Palmer is confident she will make more of a race of it. He said of the supplemented Architecture: "The official handicapper has her rated 3lb higher than the odds-on favourite. He obviously believes her Epsom performance was greater than Even Song's at Ascot. "Architecture was disappointing at Ascot, but it came less than a fortnight after the Oaks and we're happy with her going to Ireland." Frankie Dettori rides Architecture, while Pat Smullen, aboard Covert Love 12 months ago, gets the leg-up on We Are Ninety for the first time. The daughter of Thewayyouare was sixth in the Ribblesdale - two places ahead of her better-fancied stable companion - and Palmer sees her as an interesting outsider. The Newmarket handler said: "The form of her Listed win has worked out well. "I think she thoroughly deserves her place in the field and she has Ireland's leading jockey on her back in Pat Smullen. "Pat managed to navigate Covert Love from stall eight to win the race last year, We Are Ninety has the same draw and the similarities don't stop there. "Physically, they look very similar, both won their first races as three-year-olds at Chelmsford and Covert Love also won a Listed race before she won the Irish Oaks. "Both fillies are in good form. They'll both be fine on the ground and I hope both have good chances in what I believe is an open race." Smullen is also hoping lightning strikes twice. He said: "We Are Ninety is a very progressive filly. She was well fancied going into Royal Ascot and probably ran a little below par, but you can forgive any horse for that. "Obviously Hugo thinks enough of her to bring her over and hopefully we can have a repeat of what happened last year. "Hugo has a great record and any time you team up with Hugo, you are always hopeful for a big run."
