Unbeaten Hellvelyn may be Curragh-bound

Yorkshire trainer Bryan Smart could allow his unbeaten star juvenile Hellvelyn to attempt to break Coolmore Stud's remarkable stranglehold on Europe's first Group One of the season for two-year-olds at the Curragh on Sunday.

John Magnier and Michael Tabor's colours have been carried to victory in the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes for the last eight years, and yesterday a €30,000 supplementary fee was paid to get the Railway Stakes winner Holy Roman Emperor into the race.

Kieren Fallon again teams up with the colt, who will attempt to follow up last year's eight-length demolition by George Washington to secure Aidan O'Brien an eighth success of his own in the six furlong feature.

Lavery, in 1998, began the Ballydoyle trainer's hot streak, and only the victory of the David Wachman-trained Damson two years ago prevents O'Brien from going into this weekend's race on an unequalled Group One roll.

"The horse is well and we've been happy with him since he won the last day," said O'Brien, who confirmed that the supplementary fee was necessary as Holy Roman Emperor wasn't named when the original entries for the race were made.

Wachman has two hopefuls among the 15 entries left in at yesterday's forfeit stage, Rabatash and Monday's Naas winner Mythical Echo, while Kevin Prendergast has four hopefuls, including the unbeaten filly Brazilian Bride (6 to 1 with Paddy Power).

Prendergast has claimed the big race three times, with Areola (1970), Sweet Emma (1982) and Bradawn Breever (1991). He could also run the Anglesey winner Regional Counsel at the weekend, while Dermot Weld, twice successful in the race in the late 1970s, has left in last week's impressive Galway winner Fleeting Shadow.

But the door has also been left open for Hellvelyn to travel from North Yorkshire to try to win the fourth race of his career.

The grey son of Ishiguru, a 100,000 guineas purchase at last year's Doncaster St Leger sale, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Rashid, and had Holy Roman Emperor well behind him in 15th when running out an impressive winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Smart already believes he is the best he has trained and is juggling his options between the Curragh and the Prix Morny at Deauville the following Sunday.

"We are leaving him in at this stage. We will have a look at what is declared, but he did work super this morning," said the trainer

"He has developed since his last race. But he did his job well enough and I'm very excited by him. We are aiming for Group Ones now. He has got an entry in France as well. Not many who ran behind him in the Coventry have run since, but Sadeek ran well in Ireland and Joburg won his maiden, so I think it was a good Coventry."

The ground at the Curragh is currently "good to firm", and with little rain forecast for the week, watering has begun to keep the track from getting too quick.

Cashmans: 5/4 Holy Roman Emperor, 3 Hellvelyn, 7 Brazilian Bride, Fleeting Shadows 9.