Arlington Million News round-up:Danak will head a strong Irish raiding party to Chicago on Saturday night where he will put trainer John Oxx's 100 per cent track record to the test in the world famous Arlington Million.
Oxx's only previous runner at Arlington was the top-class filly Timarida who landed the Beverly D Stakes in 1996 but the wet weather that has prevailed at home this summer has persuaded the Curragh trainer to cross the Atlantic again with Danak.
"He likes quick ground and it has been very frustrating here. A race like the International Stakes over nine furlongs on Oaks Day would have been ideal for him but there was no way we could have run with the ground the way it was," Oxx said yesterday.
"He seems to have settled in well over there and is taking everything in his stride. It will be a tough race against some good American turf horses so it isn't an easy spot by any means.
"But the track should suit him. A mile and a quarter over there won't stretch his stamina as it would say at the Curragh or Leopardstown so he should have a better chance of staying," he added.
Danak, the mount of Michael Kinane, will be attempting to follow in the 2005 footsteps of Powerscourt, the only previous Irish-trained winner of the Million which was first run in 1982.
On Saturday night he is set to face seven opponents including last year's winner The Tin Man and the likely favourite After Market, winner of a Grade One in California on his last start. Michael Jarvis's Pressing and the French-trained Doctor Dino, who will be ridden by John Murtagh, are the other international hopes.
Murtagh will also be in action in the Beverly D on board the South African filly, Irridescence, for trainer Mike de Kock.
However, there will be significant Irish interest also in the third Grade One event on the Arlington card, the Secretariat Stakes, where Kinane will ride Admiralofthefleet for Aidan O'Brien and Pat Smullen will team up with Dermot Weld's Fleeting Shadow.
Kinane and O'Brien landed the Secretariat in 2000 with that year's Prix Lupin winner, Ciro, while Smullen and Weld have an excellent Arlington record having won a number of renewals of the American Derby which is run at the track in July.
Quick going will be an advantage to all the Irish runners in Chicago this weekend but along with 95 degree heat in the area, there have also been some intense thunder showers.
"It would be ironic to go all that way to avoid soft ground and have it turn into a bog!" laughed Oxx yesterday. "But the good thing with the heat is that moisture in the ground is dried up quickly."
The Curragh authorities are also hoping for drying conditions ahead of Sunday's Group One fixture where Aidan O'Brien's six-strong entry for the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes is as short as 4 to 9 to come out on top in Ireland's first top-flight race of the season for juveniles.
The unbeaten Henrythenavigator will head the O'Brien team and will be ridden by Kieren Fallon for the first time.
Ground conditions are currently "soft" at the Curragh but the clerk of the course Joe Collins said yesterday: "There is some rain forecast for Thursday and a few showers on Friday but there's nothing too bad forecast. I'd probably say at this stage we could be looking at yielding by Sunday."
Ten entries remain in France's Group One weekend highlight, the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, and they include Jim Bolger's double classic winner Finsceal Beo who also has the option of the Royal Whip at the Curragh on the same day.
The home defence at Deauville is set to be headed by the Prince Of Wales's Stakes winner Manduro and the French Derby hero, Lawman. Eoin Griffin's Finicius also features in the 10 but Griffin said yesterday: "He won't run on Sunday and will more than likely be supplemented for the Desmond Stakes. He can handle a bit on the soft side or a bit on the fast side but ideally he wants genuine good ground."
