RACING/Weekend previews :With over 400,000 on offer over the weekend, Galway's conclusion is no back number and it could also confirm Rapid Deployment's position as one of the festival stars of 2003.
The former Cesarewitch winner had his usually cool trainer, Pat Hughes, rubbing his eyes in disbelief on Monday evening as he emerged an impressive winner of the GPT.
Rapid Deployment's overall form was enough to make the result no surprise, but Hughes knew better than anyone the horse won after only three weeks of preparation.
After collecting his thoughts, Hughes had no hesitation in saying Rapid Deployment would return to Ballybrit at the weekend, and sure enough, he is entered twice, in today's 50,000 Dawn Milk Handicap Hurdle and in tomorrow's three-mile handicap hurdle.
It would be no surprise to see Rapid Deployment complete a remarkable treble.
Today's race could be the hardest leg to bring up, but it was impossible not to be impressed with the kick he found to overhaul Raise A Storm, and it's entirely possible that may have even brought him on.
Today's other 50,000 pot is the Premier Nursery, where Steel Light tops the weights and provides an interesting form link to the likes of One Cool Cat and Antonius Pius.
The give in the going will suit the Weld colt admirably, but the weight looks a problem and an alternative could be Blue Banner, from the in-form Kevin Prendergast yard.
This one beat Devil Moon on her March debut and a run behind the subsequent Richmond Stakes winner Carrizo Creek in a Curragh sales race on Derby weekend should have provided an edge.
On this day last year, The Great Gatsby started his career with a victory in the mile maiden, and Aidan O'Brien introduces another Sadler's Wells newcomer this time in Wolfe Tone. It will be disappointing if he cannot beat those with form in the race.
There could be an intriguing clash in the opening maiden hurdle, where the high-class flat runner Golovin comes up against Willie Mullins' double Tipperary bumper winner The Guarantor. The latter's only defeat so far came with a slight dig in the going, but he looks the one to be on.
The Mullins team can also land the bumper with Bacchus Prince, who ran third to the 25 to 1 winner Mickey Campbell in Galway earlier in the week.
Tomorrow's highlight is the 80,000 Radisson Handicap, where the Ascot runner-up One More Round represents Dermot Weld.
The cut in the ground is hardly ideal for the five-year-old, and instead it should pay to follow the form of last Tuesday's McDonogh Handicap.
Fearn Royal did best of the rest behind the winner Eklim, but the favourite, Cache Creek, didn't get a clear run in the straight and looked an unlucky loser. The lesser trip may not be ideal for her but Cache Creek might be worth another chance.
One of the most acclaimed rides of the week was Michael Kinane's effort on the gambled-on Huxley on that same Tuesday evening.
No one felt the impact of it more than Peter Casey, who gives the runner-up, Nick The Butler, another try in the seven furlong handicap. No doubt Casey will be happy that Kinane is in Munich rather than Ballybrit tomorrow.
Paul Carberry got out of jail on Monday when somehow managing to extricate Johnjoe's Express from an impossible position in a maiden hurdle.
The Hourigan horse has a 6lb penalty for that in the first handicap hurdle and could just follow up.
