Johannesburg is a red hot 5 to 4 favourite to provide Aidan O'Brien and Michael Tabor with a fourth successive victory in Sunday's Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown.
The unbeaten colt heads a five strong entry from Ballydoyle for the six furlong contest which attracted 12 other two-year-olds at yesterday's forfeit stage.
"Johannesburg is our strongest possible for the race and everything is good with him so far," said O'Brien who has seen the Tabor colours pass the post first on Lavery, Fasliyev and Minardi last year.
"Obviously Johannesburg has done everything we have asked him to do. He couldn't have done anything more," O'Brien added of his Norfolk Stakes and Anglesey Stakes winner.
"Rock Of Gibralter is a possible too, and we obviously might run others. None of ours would want soft ground," said O'Brien.
Lambourn-based Brian Meehan has left in both Tumbleweed Charm and Twilight Blues in the race. The only other British entry is Mick Channon's Highdown.
King Charlemagne is the most likely O'Brien runner in Deauville's Prix Maurice de Ghest, with the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint an option for the other Deauville entry, Minardi.
This evening at Fairyhouse, Pat Smullen and John Murtagh, both on the 49-winner mark up to last night, are set to cross championship swords again, and it could end up advantage Smullen.
The current champion rides Saturday's Galway runner-up Prize Time in the nursery, and while the six furlong trip could be a little short, current form suggests the Weld runner must have a good chance.
Smullen rides Hanorla for Frances Crowley in the other two-year-old race and this one could have run into a smart newcomer when runner-up to Rahn at Galway.
The double Naas winner Frosty Wind should have no problem dropping back to six furlongs for the second race and could be hard to peg back.
Over at Sligo, Standing Applause should atone for a Galway failure in the amateur maiden, while the Roscommon third Wrong Key looks good for the two-year-old maiden.
