Will wily old Dermot Weld be back with Profound Beauty for this year's Melbourne Cup? Oh yes, could be! The hardy mare took the first step with a first-up win at Leopardstown on Sunday. The UK website At The Races says: 'Fifth in the race that stops a nation in 2008, the six-year-old mare took her prize money total to over ú300,000 when flooring Age Of Aquarius in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes. Dermot Weld's charge was having her first race since finishing fourth in

Will wily old Dermot Weld be back with Profound Beauty for this year's Melbourne Cup? Oh yes, could be! The hardy mare took the first step with a first-up win at Leopardstown on Sunday. The UK website At The Races says: 'Fifth in the race that stops a nation in 2008, the six-year-old mare took her prize money total to over ú300,000 when flooring Age Of Aquarius in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes. Dermot Weld's charge was having her first race since finishing fourth in the Irish St Leger last September, but she still had the edge over Aidan O'Brien's race-fit odds-on shot. Johnny Murtagh took the favourite into the lead over three furlongs out after Donegal had made the running but Pat Smullen always had him in his sights. He brought Profound Beauty (4-1) alongside and eased into the lead with a furlong to go to get the verdict by half a length.'

Dermot Weld was more than happy with the win. He says: 'Profound Beauty is a very good race mare and she may finish her career in the Melbourne Cup in November...The ground was beautiful and she loved the surface.' Pat Smullen adds: 'I may have got there too soon on her as she got tired in the last 100 yards after I let her go, but class always tells and she got me home. I think all those staying races are open to her now. I think she's even better now than she was last year and if anything she's probably getting a shade quicker. She's a great advertisement for keeping older horses in training. There's no doubt the Melbourne Cup will be the long-term plan again, but she doesn't want firm ground.'