Dermot Weld made history nine years ago when Go And Go became the first European-trained winner of an American classic, and he will bid for an ambitious Belmont Stakes repeat on June 5th with Port Bayou.
The American-owned colt was a an all-the-way winner of yesterday's Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown from the favourite Tchaikovsky, and Weld had little hesitation in nominating the Belmont as Port Bayou's next task.
"He is a tough and consistent colt who goes on any surface, and the plan is the Belmont followed by the Irish Derby," he said before adding: "He is a Galway winner like Go And Go was and Go And Go was actually beaten in this race before going to America."
In 1990, Go And Go's stamina over the Belmont mile and a half helped him to annihilate a field that included the Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled. Stamina could also be a strong point for Port Bayou, but it wasn't an issue yesterday.
The early pace was very slow and although Tchaikovsky and River Canyon got into positions to challenge, Pat Shanahan was always in an ideal place on the winner.
Tchaikovsky's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, dismissed the race as "just a sprint. We decided to try and teach him to come through horses and the race just didn't suit."
Weld was also on the mark with Tarry Flynn, who appreciated the stiff six furlongs and easy ground of the Westbury Handicap, but Aidan O'Brien and Michael Kinane went one better with three visits to the winners' enclosure.
Carambola set the Ballydoyle ball rolling in the 1,000 Guineas Trial, beating off joint favourite Apparatchik by three parts of a length. "That was a nice trial, run at a nice pace and she'll probably run in the Irish Guineas," said O'Brien.
Access All Areas will go for the Irish 2,000 Guineas with Pat Eddery on board, but his comeback race in the Amethyst Stakes was won by the seven-year-old veteran Burden Of Proof who made all the running and just held off Access All Areas.
Another favourite, Moon Dragon, a possible for Ascot's Queens Vase, completed the almost 40/1 treble for O'Brien in the concluding maiden after he and John Oxx's Gaudi had dominated throughout. Oxx's Winged Hussar and Jim Bolger's Juvenile Desert Sky were other favourites to oblige, and the latter will take in a Listed race on route to the Railway Stakes at the Curragh.
Fairyhouse had a rather alien aura about it on Saturday - the demolition phase of their redevelopment plan is currently being undertaken.
The old grandstand is now a distant memory, reduced simply to a mound of rubble which resulted in several alterations. A temporary relocated parade-ring and weigh-room, along with a repositioned winning post, some 100 yards down the track in front of the reserved enclosure stand, didn't cause too many problems for the small crowd.
Easiest winner of the afternoon was Dermot Weld's Landing Slot, which drew steadily clear in the hands of Pat Smullen after rounding the home-turn to slam his market rival Hariymi by seven lengths.
"He ran well a couple of times last season and deserved that. He really appreciated the nice ground (officially good) out there today, and he'll run next in either a winners of one or a handicap," said the Rosewell House handler.
Tommy Kinane Jnr (41), brother of 10-time champion Michael, made a winning return to the plate after a two-year absence aboard Pegus First at Cork earlier this month, and yesterday he teamed up again with Pat O'Leary's charge to win the Beech Novice Hurdle.
