Aidan O'Brien is eyeing French Derby success with Saratoga Springs at Chantilly on Sunday, and the Racing Post Trophy hero was one of 29 acceptors for the classic at yesterday's first acceptance stage.
O'Brien also left in the 2,000 Guineas hero King of Kings, who is thought more likely to go for the English Derby, plus Chateau Royal and Desert Fox.
Dermot Weld's four acceptors are Make No Mistake, Two Twenty Two, Guapo and Titus.
The last Irish-trained horse to take the Gallic showpiece was the Vincent O'Brien runner turned sucessful sire, Caerleon, in 1983.
The English and Godolphin acceptors are Prolix, Rabah, Sadian, Gulland, Courteous, Central Park, Mudeer and City Honours.
Pascal Bary, successful twice in the last four years with Celtic Arms and Ragmar, has left in his Prix Lupin winner and potential favourite, Croco Rouge.
Saratoga Springs delighted jockey Michael Kinane as he worked the Dante Stakes winner at Ballydoyle. Trainer Aidan O'Brien confirmed: "Saratoga Springs will go for the French Derby and Michael Kinane will ride him.
"Michael rode him this morning and was happy with him, though he never does a lot at home."
O'Brien also provided an update on his other stable stars.
"King of Kings did a lovely bit of work, but Second Empire will not do his first work after the Irish Guineas until Friday," he reported.
Plans remain fluid for Second Empire, third under a controversially tender ride in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, who is entered in both the Vodafone Derby and the Budweiser Irish Derby.
Meanwhile, Desert Prince, impressive three-length winner of the Hibernia Foods Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday, returned home "very well", connections revealed yesterday.
Trainer David Loder's representative Ricky Bowman, speaking at Leicester, said: "Desert Prince has come out of the race very well.
"He's a real professional now. He's pleased us since he came home and has earned a crack at the St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot now."
Ian Balding's Hidden Meadow showed commendable gameness by taking the Group Three Prix du Palais-Royal at Longchamp yesterday under Olivier Peslier.
The raider, having dictated the tempo, was headed by the favourite, Pas de Reponse, as the Parisian prize degenerated into a two-way battle.
However, Hidden Meadow fought back to take the seven-furlong race by a short neck at odds of 6 to 1.
John Gosden's Russian Revival (Sylvain Guillot) made a pleasing start to his 1998 campaign by finishing with a flourish to take third.
