Those who believe a two-year-old campaign is just a warm-up for the real deal at three should probably look away from today's Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, because there will be nothing half-hearted in the mouth-watering clash between the star Irish juveniles Teofilo and Holy Roman Emperor.
At stake will be the title of Europe's champion two-year-old, as well as winter favouritism for next year's classics, and while narrowing a quality field of 15 down to an eyeball-to-eyeball scrap between two is always dangerous, there is no getting away from the pair sharing top billing.
Jim Bolger's declaration that the unbeaten Teofilo is the best colt he has ever trained was marvellously vindicated at the Curragh last month with a length and a quarter defeat of Holy Roman Emperor in the National Stakes.
It was enough to propel Teofilo to the top of the betting for the Guineas and the Derby, as well as kick off some wild predictions of possible triple crowns.
And yet Holy Roman Emperor, apparently beaten comprehensively, is back for another crack, with bookmakers going almost evens the pair in match-betting.
Even on a day with the tag "champions" stuck on, it looks a rematch to savour, and while the likes of Strategic Prince, as well as other Irish hopes like He's A Decoy and Haatef are clearly smart, there remains widespread expectation of a clash to remember.
Aidan O'Brien, trying to get the better of his former mentor Bolger, has got the decent ground he wanted for Holy Roman Emperor and said yesterday: "We've very happy with him and we think he has progressed again since France."
Such progress from the Prix Jean Luc Lagadere 13 days ago is no surprise, because the champion trainer has consistently said that racing will bring Holy Roman Emperor on. Significantly, that National Stakes defeat came on the back of a comparative lull in the colt's season after a Prix Morny tilt was ruled out because of bad ground.
Michael Kinane rides Holy Roman Emperor for the first time today, and the second-biggest Dewhurst field since the second World War could allow him to bury the Ballydoyle hope and come late through horses to nail his old rival.
Kinane will also be on board the world's top-rated horse, Hurricane Run, for the first time in a Champion Stakes that provides a generational clash between the Derby winner Sir Percy and other top older horses like the Arc runner-up Pride and the Michael Stoute trio headed by Notnowcato.
Sir Percy's jockey, Martin Dwyer, reported yesterday that the colt is working better than ever, and a three-year-old with the speed to run second in the Guineas could have a speed advantage over some of his older rivals.
The Prix Marcel Boussac winner Finsceal Beo is joined by Impetious (Eamon Tyrrell) and Queen Of France (David Wachman) in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes, although a Group One penalty will be a big challenge for the Bolger runner.
Irish interest in the Group Two Challenge Stakes will centre on the unbeaten Art Museum, who will be ridden by Séamus Heffernan.
The main home race today at Cork is the Listed Navigation Stakes, and the softer the ground the better for Dermot Weld's Bawaader, who thrived on the heavy to win the Lincoln last spring by eight lengths.
