All eyes on Purview in Leopardstown’s Meld Stakes

Dermot Weld plans to take it “one day at a time” with the exciting Purview, who gets the chance to live up to his reputation in the BoyleSports Meld Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.

The Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman won his only outing at two and briefly looked like giving subsequent Eclipse winner Delacroix a real race in the Leopardstown Derby Trial.

Weld resisted the temptation to run him in a Classic thereafter, giving the imposing colt time to fill his frame, and he is now ready to get back to action.

“It’s nice to have him for what is an excellent renewal of the race. You’ve got horses rated 115 and 113 in the race, so it’s running at probably Group Two level rather than Group Three,” said Weld.

“You’ve two horses rated above him and he’s a big horse that’s developing all the time, that’s why I waited with him, but I see him running a very nice race.

“He’s grown, he’s developing and he’s a big horse, so I’ve just given him time to fill into his big frame.”

On his big-race entries in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc, he added: “Let’s see how he gets on and take it one day at a time. Let’s see how we do on Thursday and go forward.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Expanded, unplaced in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent, looks to get back on track while Joseph O’Brien’s Galen, who beat Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel in April, sets the standard.

David Loughnane’s mare Sparks Fly is a doubtful runner.