Colm O'Donoghue believes Treasure Beach can continue to improve throughout the season as he looks to follow up his Irish Derby win in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on Thursday night.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt almost pulled off a 25-1 surprise in the Derby at Epsom when just denied by Pour Moi, but proved that was no fluke by going one better in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.
Stablemate Seville, an Epsom disappointment, looked the likely winner of the Irish Derby before tiring close home and the pair clash again.
The eagerly-awaited contest also contains a third O'Brien runner in Marksmanship and the French Derby winner Reliable Man.
‘Obviously it was a massive run at Epsom - he ran a brilliant race - and it was great to see him come out and frank the form at the Curragh,’ said O'Donoghue.
‘He's come out of the Irish Derby really well so I'm looking forward to tomorrow night.
‘Some horses take a while to recover after Epsom, but it just shows how solid and tough he is and how genuine and reliable he is.
‘He's got a pedigree that suggests that he should keep on improving and he's much better at three than he was at two, so hopefully he improves with age.
‘The ground won't worry him.’
Seamie Heffernan rode Seville at the Curragh and keeps the partnership intact in France.
‘I was very happy with his run at the Curragh. I took it (the running) up, but he just got a little bit tired close home,’ said Heffernan, fresh from his win in the Eclipse on So You Think.
‘He's come out of his race well and he's ready to run in another Group One and I'm delighted to keep the ride.
‘I ride him in some of his work at home but we always swap around on different days.
‘He had a very good run in the Dante but he just ran no race at all in the Derby.
‘He then ran a very good race at the Curragh so I'm hoping for a very good run.
‘Cut in the ground won't be a worry, he genuinely goes on all sorts of ground so that won't be a problem.
‘It's a small field but it looks to be strong.
‘Hopefully we'll find the champion.’
Reliable Man remains unbeaten in three races this year, having not run as a juvenile, and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre is relishing the challenge.
He said: ‘I've been thrilled with how he has progressed this season, and he looks like a great horse.
‘His last gallop was good and he's fine to go.
‘I decided on this race over the King George, but not because I wanted to keep him to his own age, it is because the horses from Coolmore are coming to France and I wanted to see how he gets on against the English Derby runner-up and Irish Derby winner (Treasure Beach).
‘I would like to know exactly where we stand.
‘I think he could be better over 12 furlongs than 10 but he can do both - he's good enough.
‘I hope we have a good race and everyone can see how good he is.’
Andre Fabre has already won the Group One contest an incredible 10 times but, on paper at least, his two representatives this year will need to improve to get involved.
Kreem, the mount of Derby-winning jockey Mickael Barzalona, was last seen claiming a Group Three at Chantilly.
Meandre, who will be partnered by Maxime Guyon, won a Listed race at Longchamp last time out.
‘Kreem won one of the prep races for this at Chantilly. The form is probably not as solid as that from the Prix du Jockey Club, but he's a good, staying-type horse with good acceleration,’ said Fabre.
‘He's very consistent and has plenty of experience, so I hope he will run well.
‘Meandre is a progressive horse with a nice turn of foot. He won his last race well enough to be supplemented for this race.
‘He has exactly the same form as Kreem, so it is difficult to split them.
‘They are both in good shape and I hope both can run really well.’
