O'Donoghue targets US win

TREASURE BEACH has already provided Colm O’Donoghue with perhaps the most memorable success of his career in this year’s Irish Derby and the jockey is hopeful Aidan O’Brien’s colt can secure him another first at Arlington on Saturday night.

The son of Galileo is due to fly out to Chicago today in company with his stable companion Cape Blanco who is a likely favourite for the featured Arlington Million. Treasure Beach however will line up for the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes on the same card.

The last two winners of the Irish Derby provide O’Brien with a strong hand on a lucrative Grade One programme and while Jamie Spencer will be on board Cape Blanco as they attempt to record back-to-back US victories, O’Donoghue is aiming at a first win in the USA.

“I’ve ridden at Churchill Downs, Santa Anita and Gulfstream but not at Arlington before,” said O’Donoghue yesterday. He did however taste Grade One success at Woodbine in Toronto last year when Joshua Tree won the Canadian International.

Treasure Beach followed up a narrow defeat in the Epsom Derby with success in the Irish Derby but could finish only fourth to Meandre in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on his last start.

“To be honest I can’t pinpoint a reason for that except perhaps he didn’t quite stay. We went a good strong pace, probably stronger than we did at the Curragh, and he’s a horse that isn’t short of speed,” O’Donoghue said.

The Cork-born jockey came closest to wining in the US all of a dozen years ago when Thady Quill was third in a turf race at Gulfstream Park in Miami.

Richard Hughes gave up his rides at Nottingham yesterday afternoon due to illness. The jockey had three bookings at Colwick Park, but decided against making the trip north as he was feeling under the weather.