Kieren Fallon will get an early taste of big-race action in Australia this weekend after picking up a valuable spare ride in the prestigious Grade One Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
As Yeats continues his build-up to the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week, Fallon has secured the mount on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Aqua D'Amore in Saturday's $3-million mile-and-a-quarter event, which is Australia's most coveted all-aged, middle-distance race.
Aqua D'Amore is owned by the Coolmore syndicate that retains Fallon in Europe, and the former champion jockey replaces local rider Stephen Baster, who rode the mare into second behind Tawqeet in last weekend's Caulfield Cup.
"Stephen rode her this morning and couldn't believe how well she came through her run. She has her foot on the till," said Waterhouse. "I couldn't be happier that Kieren rides."
Some of the biggest names in Australian history have won the Cox Plate, including the legendary Phar Lap and Kingston Town, who landed a treble between 1980 and 1982.
Fallon will, however, be familiar with at least one opponent as the 2004 Irish Derby winner, Grey Swallow, will have his first start Down Under for new trainer Dale Sutton.
Grey Swallow switched from Dermot Weld's yard earlier this year in a reported $5 million deal and has been installed as third favourite for the Plate behind the market leader, Racing To Win.
Fallon was runner up to Grey Swallow in the Irish Derby on board North Light, who had previously scored at Epsom.
He gave Yeats his first serious work-out - on Tuesday over 10 furlongs at Sandown racecourse - since arriving in Melbourne, and the former Coronation Cup winner continues to please his connections.
"He is eating and drinking normally and only lost two kilograms on the flight - which is nothing - and he's already put that back on," said Aidan O'Brien's assistant trainer Andrew Murphy.
"I tell Aidan how he is doing and he tells me what to do with him every day."
Yeats is as low as 4 to 1 co-favourite with some firms for the cup along with Tawqeet.
O'Brien's Group One focus could be closer to home this Sunday though; the champion trainer has four entries among the 14 left in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.
As expected, the name of the Dewhurst and National Stakes winner Teofilo is not among the 14, Jim Bolger electing not to chance his star colt on the predicted soft ground.
O'Brien's quartet includes Monday's impressive Curragh winner Mount Nelson, who was afterwards described by his jockey Séamus Heffernan as among the top five two-year-olds at Ballydoyle.
Other options include Chinese Whisper, third in Milan's Gran Criterium last time, as well as Soldier Of Fortune and Yellowstone.
"We will see how things are later in the week before making any decisions," said O'Brien.
However, all four horses also feature in a 12-strong O'Brien entry for Leopardstown's Group Three Killavullan Stakes this bank holiday Monday.
At yesterday's forfeit stage a total of 22 horses were left in the seven-furlong contest, which O'Brien won with Frost Giant last year.
Grey Swallow landed the Killavullen on the way to earning juvenile championship honours in 2003.
Monday's other Leopardstown highlight will be the Trigo Stakes, which has attracted 23 entries, including Jim Bolger's Galatee, who lost her unbeaten record at the Curragh earlier this month.
The going at Leopardstown is currently soft and - with showers forecast - there is unlikely to be significant change before Monday.
