Treasure Beach heads O’Brien 1-2-3 in Irish Derby at The Curragh

Not only did trainer Aidan O’Brien win the Irish Derby for the sixth year in a row, he recorded his fourth sweep of the top three placings in the race Sunday when Treasure Beach beat Seville and pacesetter Memphis Tennessee in the Group 1 race at The Curragh. Carlton House turned in his second consecutive disappointing performance, finishing fourth behind the O’Brien trio after a third in the English Derby.

Treasure Beach validated his near miss behind Pour Moi in the English Derby with a three-quarter-length win under Colm O’Donoghue, rallying from midpack to sweep past Seville in the final furlong of a race worth about $1 million. Winner of the Chester Vase before his fine performance at Epsom, Treasure Beach, a son of Galileo owned by Derek Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor, now has won 4 of 8 starts while never finishing worse than third. O’Brien mentioned the July 14 Grand Prix de Paris as a possible next start for the colt.

Carlton House could not produce the necessary late energy, just as had happened in the English Derby, and after two tries over 1 1/2 miles, the colt will be shortened in distance, trainer Michael Stoute said after the Irish Derby.

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud: Sarafina rallies to win

Sarafina overcame a slow pace and her early race misbehavior to land the Group 1, $567,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday in France.

Sarafina was slow to settle under jockey Christophe Lemaire in the 1 1/2-mile race. Wrangled back to last in a five-horse field, Sarafina still trailed entering the straightaway as slow-pacesetting Cirrus des Aigles sprinted home, but Sarafina rallied to reach contention, then finished off the leader with one final burst to score by a neck in an encouraging performance.

Sarafina, a 4-year-old Refuse to Bend filly bred and owned by the Aga Khan, was trained to victory by Alain de Royer-Dupre. She won for the fifth time in eight starts. Cirrus des Aigles held second over Silver Pond.

Sarafina will be pointed to a start in the Prix de l’Arc d’Triomphe, a race in which she finished third last year, with an interim start in the Prix Vermeille.

The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victory earned Sarafina a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf as part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program.