Last spring at the annual Ballydoyle press day, Aidan O'Brien was asked if there were any potential King Of Kings-like star two-year-olds in the yard.
Subsequent events have shown that the likes of Stravinsky, Orpen and Lavery were just waiting to be unleashed but back then it was the name of Saffron Waldon that was first to O'Brien's lips. The Ballydoyle maestro had no problem mentioning his name next to King Of Kings.
Since then, it seems, we have been waiting for the first appearance of the Sadler's Wells colt, and significantly it is in today's Group Three Bord Gais Killavullan Stakes.
It will be fascinating to see if Saffron Waldon's performance matches his reputation, especially on the very testing ground.
Yesterday O'Brien seemed to have lost none of his admiration for the colt. "He's a lovely horse and could be one of our leading two-year-olds. He has needed time, so we haven't rushed him. It's not ideal ground for a first run, though," he said.
Nevertheless, the presence of Michael Kinane on Saffron Waldon's back instead of that of the handsome Gowran winner, Yeoman's Point; the choice of a Group race for a first effort, and the fact that Sadler's Wells' progeny usually go on the soft, makes Saffron Waldon an exciting proposition.
Indeed, today could be very much a story of Ballydoyle two-year-olds and possible classic pointers for 1999.
The Fairy King colt, High King, was the expensive sales-topper at the Goffs sales last year and makes his first appearance in the mile maiden. Money alone isn't going to make High King run faster but it does make him hard to oppose on this occasion.
As a son of Nureyev, very soft ground isn't likely to suit Moiseyev in the seven-furlong maiden, but he ran a decent fifth at the Curragh when slowly away from a flag start in a five-furlong race. He should improve significantly from that and is selected ahead of Donatus.
The listed Trigo Stakes is a competitive event and the course winner, Balla Sola, will be a popular choice. Significantly he has been winning over nine furlongs and Golden Rule, just beaten in the Blandford Stakes, is given another chance to win.
Galway's bid to salvage something of their Bank Holiday meeting from the weather is dependent on a 7 a.m. inspection, but the closeness of that call is emphasised by the positioning of the two steeplechases at the end of the card.
The chase course has been the worst affected by the weather and even if the flat and hurdles course is passed fit this morning, there is no guarantee about the chase track being passed. "With any bit of luck we will be able to run the whole thing through. But I was confident on Saturday night about Sunday and then we got a deluge. We will have to see in the morning," said the Galway manager John Maloney.
Should the go-ahead come, then the emphasis will definitely be on stamina and that should suit Deejaydee in the opening Ladbroke Novice Hurdle.
Michael Hourigan's six-year-old ran, after all, in the four-mile amateur chase at Cheltenham; gave Kevin O'Brien a winning farewell ride at Limerick last Saturday, and has the build of a horse who will keep going in the mud.
Another horse who should be OK on the surface is Arthur Moore's Fadoudal De Cochet in the second divsion of the maiden hurdle. This horse looked unlucky at Listowel last spring and on the form of his run behind Nomadic at Gowran should have little trouble breaking his duck. It should be here.
