Aidan O'Brien has dismissed concerns about Galileo dropping back in trip for Saturday's potentially epic clash with Fantastic Light.
As expected, the Ireland The Food Island Champion Stakes is turning into a match between Coolmore and Godolphin, with both camps dominating the 10 entries left in the race yesterday.
Each side has three representatives left in, although Sakhee's entry remains purely precautionary with the Leopardstown ground still reported to be "good".
The balance is made up by home-trained horses, although doubts remain about the Dermot Weld-trained Muakaad and the Pretty Polly Stakes winner Rebelline.
The ground will have to ease if Kevin Prendergast is to run the filly, while Weld will wait to make a decision regarding Muakaad, who has returned home in good shape following a sixth to Silvano on unsuitable ground in the Arlington Million.
Jim Bolger's Siringas, second last to Independence at the Curragh last weekend, is a likely starter, as is Chimes At Midnight, who ran 10th to Galileo in the King George.
That was the hot favourite's third successive Group One victory at a mile-and-a-half this season, but O'Brien is unconcerned about Galileo's drop in distance for what will be the colt's fourth start at Leopardstown.
"We have always thought that 10 furlongs would not be a bother to him. He is a horse with lots of speed," said O'Brien, who is not thinking of races beyond Saturday's.
Galileo's part-owner, Michael Tabor, has held out the possibility of the double Derby winner remaining in training as a four-year-old and maybe even missing this season's Breeders Cup Classic as a result.
O'Brien said yesterday: "I am looking 100 per cent at the weekend and that is all. We try and get them there first and then try and get them over it. It is one day at a time with horses, but Galileo did his normal canter today and is fine."
A maximum of 2mm of rain is expected overnight in the Dublin area, which will leave the Leopardstown ground still being described as "good". The racing manager, Tom Burke, said yesterday: "It was good, with good to yielding patches, this morning but towards the weekend, the forecast is for dry weather."
Dundalk's last meeting before the track is closed for re-development takes place this afternoon and it could be the last race that provides the most interesting bet of the day.
Curragh trainer Jim Gorman has had two flat winners at the track this year and Portobello Express looks a reasonable prospect for the bumper based on an encouraging sixth to Timber King on the flat at Gowran last time.
That had been Portobello Express's first start since a Thurles second to Assessed in January and should put him right for a tilt against Winston Murphy and Lisa's Dream.
Conor O'Dwyer can score on the Cork winner Galway Breeze in the Beginners Chase, but his mount Auditty could find the weight too much as the horse tries to emulate his 1999 success in the handicap chase.
Madame Jones narrowly failed in her bid to become the first horse for over a century to win 10 handicaps in a year when she finished second at Yarmouth yesterday.
The David Evans-trained six-year-old was beaten two and a half lengths by Mr Speaker in an Apprentice Handicap in the hands of 7lb claimer Francis Ferris. She had failed to re-write the record books just 24 hours earlier when she finished unplaced at Hamilton.
Madame Jones equalled the record of nine handicap wins with a victory at Yarmouth on August 26th. Her other wins this year have come at Southwell (four), Wolverhampton (three) and Nottingham.
The Lycius mare shares the record with Chaplins Club, who achieved the feat in 1985 and 1988, Glencroft (1988), Star Rage (1994), Vindaloo (1995), Sihafi (1998) and Nineacres (2000).
