Irish mare Profound Beauty has taken the first steps towards another trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup with victory in the Group Three Curragh Cup.Trainer Dermot Weld said Profound Beauty would target the Irish St Leger and then he would look to improve on her fifth in the 2008 Melbourne Cup."She ran a cracker to finish fifth in the race last year and is now a year older and slightly stronger," Weld told irishracing.com."Profound Beauty always runs a game race but just seemed to get a litt

Irish mare Profound Beauty has taken the first steps towards another trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup with victory in the Group Three Curragh Cup.

Trainer Dermot Weld said Profound Beauty would target the Irish St Leger and then he would look to improve on her fifth in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.

"She ran a cracker to finish fifth in the race last year and is now a year older and slightly stronger," Weld told irishracing.com.

"Profound Beauty always runs a game race but just seemed to get a little tired in the closing stages.

"Her mid-summer target was today and now the obvious target is the Irish St Leger."

The Luca Cumani-trained Mad Rush who finished seventh in the 2008 Melbourne Cup as favourite, was a long last in Saturday's Curragh Cup (2800m) and was subsequently found to be lame.

Weld is the only European trainer to win the Melbourne Cup, something he has done twice.

He created history in 1993 with Vintage Crop and won in 2002 with Media Puzzle.

Corporate bookmakers have Profound Beauty at $35 for the Melbourne Cup with dual Derby winner Rebel Raider heading markets at $17.