Last Wednesday, £4,375 was paid by the Moyglare Stud to supplement their colt, Major Force, for the Desert King Tetrarch Stakes. Yesterday, the gamble paid off in style as Major Force set himself up for a tilt at either the French or Irish 2,000 Guineas with a smooth six-lengths victory.
"A good improving horse," confirmed trainer Dermot Weld before grinning: "He really could be a major force!"
That is no idle boast on the evidence of yesterday. Major Force extended his previous superiority over Marius Petipa, third yesterday, from three lengths to eight, and Namid could never get in a blow at the winner, who made virtually all under Pat Smullen.
"He has come on well from the last day and it's logical now to look at the French Guineas (May 16th) or the Irish Guineas (May 22nd). He is effective on soft ground but I believe he will be just as effective on the good," Weld added.
Mus-If is another Weld colt with the same Guineas options, and the Curragh trainer said: "We will review the situation but it's nice to have two serious classic contenders in the yard."
Weld, Smullen and the Moyglare Stud went on to score in the following mile maiden with Dance Design's half brother, Royal Command, and although classic pretensions may be beyond him, he too is highly rated.
"A good colt and the listed Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown will tell us where we are with him," was Weld's verdict on easy defeat of Morning Breeze and the favourite, Lucky Legend.
Stage Affair was another Weld horse fancied to win but his chance in the Mooresbridge Stakes disappeared at the start when he dived under the starting gates and ran free spectacularly with the saddle slipping back to his hindquarters.
He was promptly withdrawn, as was Nicole Pharly, who refused to enter the stalls; and after the rest had been waiting in the gates for almost 10 minutes, it was Campo Catino who stayed on too strongly for the favourite, Twickenham.
"All the rumpus in the stalls did him no harm because he's such a calm horse and the race was set up very well. This trip is his absolute minimum but the fast pace and the ground helped him," said Charles O'Brien, who was scoring his first of the season as was the champion jockey John Murtagh.
Aidan O'Brien's domination of the juvenile races continued when Rossini impressively justified odds of 2 to 5 in the opener, but a succession of placed Ballydoyle efforts followed, with none more expensive than the defeat of the odds-on Crystal Downs in the Athasi Stakes.
Crsytal Downs tried to make all but was overwhelmed by the outsider, Taisho, when Willie Supple produced that filly to challenge on the outside. Taisho went on to win by three and a half lengths and could now be supplemented for the Entenman's Irish 1,000 Guineas.
If it was a relatively quiet day for the most powerful outfit in racing, no winner was celebrated more robustly yesterday than Quinstars who short-headed Crown Point in the sprint handicap.
Co Monaghan trainer Oliver Brady greeted the photo-finish announcement with a cry of "Up Monaghan". To the delight of the crowd, Brady, who trains a relatively small string, added comments such as "the little man can do it!" and "we don't need the £5 million one!"
There could be a three-pronged Irish attack on Sunday's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Aidan O'Brien's Sunspangled is the shortest priced in the antepost market, but Tommy Stack's Fear And Greed and the Jim Bolger-trained Artistic Blue remain possible runners also.
