Aidan O’Brien completed six wins in-a-row in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh today, completing a 1-2-3 clean sweep with his Treasure Beach a first Derby win for jockey Colm O’Donoghue, leading the charge.
The Queen’s Carlton House went off the 5/4 favourite for the race but finished one-paced when pressure was applied from two furlongs out. By this point Epsom Derby runner-up Treasure Beach was being produced to challenge, improving to lead inside the final furlong, for a three parts of a length and a length defeat over stablemates Seville and Memphis Tennesse.
The win was O’Brien’s ninth Irish Derby win and was following on from consecutive wins of his Dylan Thomas, Soldier Of Fortune, Frozen Fire, Fame And Glory and Cape Blanco last year. After ards O’Brien stated “Memphis Tennesse set a nice even pace and it seemed to suit all the horses. Colm was excellent on Treasure Beach and settled him beautifully before producing him brilliantly.”
“Treasure Beach has progressed with every run and he has a few options now – he could go for the Grand Prix De Paris, the King George or else he could have a break before coming back for the second half of the season.”
“We are very lucky in that his owners have decided to keep their horses in training as four year olds and that gives us options with giving the three year olds breaks.”
For jockey O’Donoghue, the win was a career highlight with the 30 year old, from Buttevant, Co Cork saying “I’ve been riding out in Ballydoyle since i was 15 and I’m very grateful to the owners for the opportunities. It’s a feeling of relief more than anything else as I had been placed in the race a number of times.”
“I was confident coming here as I learned more about the horse after Epsom. I won a French Guineas before but this means an awful lot to me.”
O’Donoghue was finally getting his own head in front in the race having finished second three times and third twice in previous renewals.
Regarding the placed runners, O'Brien subsequently added "Seville threw us with his disappointing run at Epsom but he returned to form today and Seamie (Heffernan, jockey) said he's come forward from today's run. He is a possible for the Grand Prix De Paris."
"Memphis Tennesse will probably have a break now and will probably run in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August."
The Stewards subsequently suspended Seville's jockey Seamis Heffernan for two days for using his whip with excessive frequency and not allowing his mount sufficient time to respond.
Thomas Weekes
