It's nine years since Dermot Weld won the Italian Derby with In A Tiff, but the Curragh trainer is on the road to Rome again with Sunday's big-race hope Vinnie Roe.
The stakes-winning colt, who is owned by film director Jim Sheridan, is being targeted at the Derby Italiano at Capanelle and is chasing a race-record prize fund.
The Italian classic is worth over £805,000 and the Weld runner could also pay a major pre-Epsom compliment to Galileo, who has beaten Vinnie Roe twice already this season.
"Jockey arrangements have yet to be finalised for Vinnie Roe," said Weld yesterday and the trainer is facing a big-race weekend, with Cool Clarity heading a strong team at the Curragh for the Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas and Pine Dance going for the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap in New York on Monday.
Aidan O'Brien could also be represented in the Rome classic by the French 2,000 Guineas flop, King's County.
Today will be D-Day for those wanting to fork out the £28,000 supplementary fee to run in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas but the British challenge is already taking shape, with the Barry Hills-trained Amicable reported as a likely travelling companion to the Newmarket runner-up Tamburlaine.
The domestic action today is at Roscommon, where John Oxx can confirm he is the trainer to follow at the western track with the newcomer, Beyshira, in the mile and a quarter maiden.
Oxx had a close on 50 per cent strike rate at Roscommon last year with five winners from 12 starters. They included the subsequent Group winner, Mouramara, so the Curragh trainer isn't slow to run his top horses here and Beyshira, a daughter of Ashkalani, wouldn't have to be from the top drawer to beat what looks to be a weak field.
A contender for best bred horse at the fixture is Dance Theatre in the colts' maiden, but as a son of Sadler's Wells he may not relish the ground getting any quicker, so an alternative for some will be Sky To Sea, who ran a decent third to the 2,000 Guineas outsider, Maumee, at Gowran.
The maiden hurdle looks trappy, but if the ground does quicken up, it should suit Vintage Crop's half brother, Clear Move, a Fairyhouse bumper winner on the fast.
