It goes without saying that anything Irish trainer Dermot Weld does should be taken seriously when it comes to the Melbourne Cup.And when Weld's views are reinforced by those of his long-serving head travelling lad David Phillips, they are even more relevant.Weld's two Melbourne Cups set him apart from every one of the dozen or so European trainers who have tried to win the race in the past 16 years.On the successful missions undertaken by Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle and several others, Philli

It goes without saying that anything Irish trainer Dermot Weld does should be taken seriously when it comes to the Melbourne Cup.

And when Weld's views are reinforced by those of his long-serving head travelling lad David Phillips, they are even more relevant.

Weld's two Melbourne Cups set him apart from every one of the dozen or so European trainers who have tried to win the race in the past 16 years.

On the successful missions undertaken by Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle and several others, Phillips was Weld's man on the ground in Melbourne.

Every step Vintage Crop took in his three Cup preparations, Phillips was either on top of him or beside him. The same with the stable's grand old performer Vinnie Roe in his two campaigns.

When Media Puzzle won the race in 2002, Phillips was again in attendance, directing the horse through a program that was as daring as it was meticulously planned and which netted the Geelong and Melbourne Cups.

After an absence of a few years, Phillips is back with a Weld-trained Melbourne Cup runner who has arrived in Australia accompanied by more than a hint of Irish confidence.

The Weld-trained Profound Beauty has already been backed in one bet alone to win $500,000 at odds of 33-1 with Australian bookies Betstar.

Profound Beauty arrived in Melbourne on Saturday and, according to Phillips, has taken the trip well.

"She lost about eight kilos, which is pretty normal," Phillips said.

"But she's a good doer so I expect her to get back on track fairly quick."

A four-year-old owned by one of Weld's longest-standing clients, Moyglare Stud, she has missed a place only once in 10 starts, winning three of them.

Profound Beauty's latest win came in July in the Challenge Stakes, a Listed 2800m race at Leopardstown which she won by 4-1/2 lengths.

She had won her previous start by three lengths at The Curragh and last time out finished third in the G3 Ballyroan Stakes (2400m) at the same track.

Phillips said she had been chosen as Weld's first Cup runner in four years because of her adaptability and her work ethic.

"She's a late developing mare, big, good looking," he said.

"She does her work very well, her bridle work is very, very good.

"Her attitude toward work is good."

Profound Beauty was one of the six horses who arrived in Melbourne to complete the 10-horse European contingent.

Also on the flight were Aidan O'Brien's one-time Cup favourite Septimus, his stablemates Honolulu and Alessandro Volta, the French mare Varevees, and Yellowstone from the English stable of Jane Chapple-Hyam.

All handlers reported their horses had travelled well and they are due to appear on the Sandown training track on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Of the other internationals, the Godolphin Cups entry All The Good is scheduled to gallop at Sandown on Monday morning with race jockey Kerrin McEvoy up.