One Cool Cat will head straight for the 2000 Guineas - for which he is a red-hot favourite - after emerging triumphant from the two-year-old showdown of the year so far at the Curragh yesterday.
Aidan O'Brien's charge produced a stunning late burst to swamp his rivals in the Dunnes Stores National Stakes with Mark Johnston's highly-rated Pearl Of Love left in his wake.
The 4-6 market leader overcame traffic problems at the halfway mark with a most impressive change which swept him past his main market rival on the far rails as 20-1 chance Wathab challenged wide.
"We felt it was going to take an unbelievable horse to beat One Cool Cat," was winning trainer Aidan O'Brien's reaction. "The great thing about this horse is that when Mick asks him to go, he blasts. He went to the front so well that Mick said he was idling at the line."
Bookmakers reaction to the result was to clip One Cool Cat to 5-2 favourite from 4-1 for next season's Newmarket Classic.
The pace was generous from the outset and the winning time of 1min 23.1sec was almost three seconds quicker than Refuse To Bend achieved on similar going 12 months ago as a prelude to taking this season's Guineas.
No wonder O'Brien makes little secret of his admiration for the big, imposing son of Storm Cat, who will now be put away with Newmarket in mind.
"He was a bit fresh down at the start because we had just kept him ticking over and we knew it was going to be his last run of the season," O'Brien said. "But he is very relaxed, has a great mind and seems to have everything."