Canford Cliffs showed what all the fuss was about with a jaw-dropping success in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.The classy colt has been one of the biggest talking horses for the last few years, and emphatically lived up to his billing on Saturday.
Providing Richard Hannon with a third win in the Classic, he is now poised for a rematch with Makfi and stablemate Dick Turpin after the pair beat him in the English equivalent.
All three colts are likely contenders for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot - a race which may also include Curragh second Free Judgement and fourth Steinbeck.
After failing to conclusively prove he stayed a mile at Newmarket, the 9-4 favourite left his critics gasping for breath as he slayed the Guineas field by three lengths under Richard Hughes.
The winning trainer's son and assistant, Richard Hannon jnr, said: "He did a piece of work last week that was his best since he won the Coventry and Hughesie was able to sit on him like he was a Jet-ski.
Hannon and Hughes were also on the mark with Shamwari Lodge, who will head for the Windsor Forest Stakes at Ascot after obliging as the 8-15 favourite in the Tri Equestrian Stakes.
Also Ascot-bound is Kingsgate Native, who made the perfect start to his campaign in the Group Two betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock.
Ryan Moore rode the 3-1 joint-favourite with a measure of confidence and the five-year-old showed a fine turn of foot to collar the long-time leader Equiano with 100 yards to run and go on to score by half a length.
Failed stallion Kingsgate Native carries the colours of Cheveley Park Stud, whose managing director Chris Richardson said: "That was fantastic we were deflated after his efforts at stud last year.
"I think he will be off to Royal Ascot now, we will discuss it with Mr and Mrs Thompson and Sir Michael Stoute, he is in both races but I don't suppose he would run twice."
Bethrah might not have been as visually impressive as Canford Cliffs, but she confirmed herself very much a filly on the up with victory in the Etihad Airways-sponsored fillies' equivalent on Sunday.
Owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, the daughter of Marju hit overdrive inside the final furlong for Pat Smullen and sneaked up a tiny gap on the rail.
Godolphin's Anna Salai looked to be going best with two furlongs to run but was narrowly denied by a head in second, with Mick Channon's Music Show, the 3-1 favourite, in third.
Weld said: "You can never be confident but I knew she would represent us very well. She's a very progressive filly and has battled her way forward."
Fame and Glory showed his true colours with a masterclass of a display to provide Aidan O'Brien with a fourth Tattersalls Gold Cup.
And last year's Irish Derby winner is set for a quick reappearance in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday week, with Paddy Power trimming him to 2-1 favouritism from 11-4 for the June 4 event.
Disappointment of the race was Godolphin's French Group One-winning French import, Cutlass Bay, who lost his unbeaten tag when nearly 21 lengths adrift in fifth.
No doubting the star of the show in France as Freddie Head labelled Goldikova a "freak" after the wonder mare notched up her eighth Group One success in the Prix D'Ispahan at Longchamp.
Head used the nine-furlong race as a starting point last year but was left downcast on that occasion when she could only trail home in seventh on soft ground.
However, the five-year-old firmly put memories of that performance to rest with an imperious display that saw her record the fastest winning time the race has ever seen.
Head says all roads now lead to the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and a mouthwatering clash with Paco Boy.
He said: "I'm really looking forward to Ascot now. The Queen Anne comes at exactly the right time, it is the right distance and I think she will love the straight mile there."
Godolphin's Kite Wood got his four-year-old campaign off to the best possible start with an all-the-way win in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, and a crack at the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot could now be high on the agenda for last year's St Leger runner-up.
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