IRISH RACING/News and Leopardstown report: Dermot Weld is pinning his hopes on the weather as he prepares In Time's Eye for a crack at the Budweiser Irish Derby hotpot High Chaparral.
The pair met in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial in May when a victorious High Chaparral conceded 7lb before landing that momentous Epsom triumph over Hawk Wing.
"High Chaparral is 1 to 4 for Sunday and should win. Being realistic I think he will be very hard to beat," said Weld last night.
"But if the ground turned fast that might suit my horse better than a Sadler's Wells. In Time's Eye loves quick ground and he does have another gear.
"High Chaparral has probably improved another 7lb which means we have to improve 14lb to catch up. In Time's Eye has improved but I don't know if he has improved that much," Weld added.
The ground at the Curragh yesterday had improved to "good to yielding" but it didn't stop one punter having £2,000 sterling on In Time's Eye at 8 to 1 with Cashmans yesterday.
That was enough to see the Weld runner cut to 6 to 1 and disputing general second favouritism alongside the King Edward VII Stakes winner Balakheri.
Pat Smullen will ride In Time's Eye in the Derby with Pat Shanahan on the Weld second string, Jazz Beat.
Shanahan picked up the 1996 Derby on the Weld-trained outsider Zagreb and the trainer said yesterday: "Jazz Beat is in super form, too, and will run a good race."
Weld will also take the fight to the Ballydoyle powerhouse in the Railway Stakes where the Coventry runner-up Pakhoes could take on the highly rated Hold That Tiger.
"Pakhoes is a very decent horse and hopefully he will go and win one now. He is adaptable so the ground should not be a problem," he said.
Weld and Smullen got in the winning swing for the weekened when Musical Fusion made a winning debut in the mile and a half maiden at Leopardstown last night.
A gelded son of Sadler's Wells with blinkers on didn't seem to do much for the punters and they let Musical Fusion off a 7 to 1 chance.
He didn't look a particularly comfortable mount but he overhauled Really in the straight and kept on well enough to win.
Bocaccio emerged best in a blanket finish to the nine-furlong handicap, just edging out the dead-heaters Royal South and Solid Gold.
"Because he had a bad draw we decided to take a chance and drop him in. Niall (McCullagh) has given him a great ride," said trainer Michael Grassick.
There was another ultra-tight finish to the seven-furlong handicap with Triple Gold short heading Capel Street in a driving finish.
Rupununi was the gamble in the first division of the amateur's maiden and brought it off in style with a decisive burst of acceleration early in the straight.
John Kiely's Leopardstown experience is usually during the winter months but the trainer prepared Kilbride King for a thrusting late run that took him to a length and a half success over Anno Jubilo in the apprentice handicap.
•Navan will hold a new fixture on Thursday, July 11th.
