Curragh Preview: The season won't throw up a better David versus Goliath clash than what looks in store tomorrow at the Curragh, where the sole English hope Hellvelyn will be looking to break probably the tightest Group One stranglehold in the world.

For the last eight years, the Coolmore Stud team of John Magnier and Michael Tabor have farmed the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes, which this year is Europe's first Group One of the season for juveniles.

Seven of the eight have been trained by Aidan O'Brien and they have varied from the likes of last year's winner, George Washington, and the Breeders Cup hero Johannesburg to the comparatively underwhelming pair of Lavery and Minardi.

What camp Holy Roman Emperor will ultimately fall into is obviously unclear but his chance is equally obvious enough for the Ballydoyle team to have shelled out a €30,000 supplementary fee during the week.

"We gave him a little break after he won the Railway Stakes and he should have learned a lot from that run," said O'Brien yesterday.

The Railway runner-up Drayton is one of six opponents lined up against Holy Roman Emperor tomorrow and with only three-quarters of a length to make up, he will have his supporters along with the Kevin Prendergast-trained fillies Brazilian Bride and Miss Beatrix.

Not surprisingly, considering his record in the race, the bookmakers have been taking no chances with the O'Brien hope all week.

But there is also no getting away from the fact Holy Roman Emperor has the guts of seven lengths to make up on Hellvelyn from their Royal Ascot clash in the Coventry in June.

Holy Roman Emperor was patently green in that race and equally clearly also learned a lot by the time of his next race.

But he still has the ground to make up and the Hellvelyn team believe their colt has improved too.

In fact, the likelihood is that if you stuck Hellvelyn's record next to O'Brien's name on the racecard, the grey colt would be an odds-on favourite.

Unbeaten in three starts on a variety of surfaces, and impressive in the Coventry, the 100,000 guineas purchase, who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Rashid, is regarded by his Yorkshire trainer Bryan Smart as being the best he has trained.

Smart is small-time compared to some of his opposition this weekend but he has trained a French Oaks winner and clearly knows what he is doing.

Yesterday, he said, "Hellvelyn had a breeze on Thursday and went very well. He's in good nick but it will be his first trip out of the country so we will have to see how he travels.

"It's competitive but he has beaten Holy Roman Emperor before so, looking at it, they've got us to beat."

Kieren Fallon may have to settle for minor honours in the big race but the rest of the card could be a bonanza for the former champion jockey.

Moss Vale is one of seven cross-channel raiders in the eight-runner Group Three sprint and the course-and-distance winner appears to be the one to beat.

Fallon is also on the O'Brien- trained Theann in the opener while the Ballydoyle decision to give Rock Of Gibraltar's full sister Nell Gwyn her debut in a conditions race only seems to confirm suggestions that she is potentially very smart.

Striking has taken her time to actually win a race but she finally broke her duck at Roscommon on Tuesday and a mark of 77 doesn't look overly harsh in the seven-furlong handicap.

Just four line up in the Group Two Royal Whip and with Mustameet's sole previous start at a mile and a quarter yielding a defeat last winter, Chelsea Rose looks the obvious bet to build on a fine run in last weekend's Nassau.