Weld explores Profound horizons once more

Instead of his gavel, the Tattersalls auctioneer might have been waving a baton at the orchestra of the Titanic. In the world outside, every other market was either listing queasily, or lurching into the depths. During the first session of the October Yearling Sale, however, the one in unproven, fragile young thoroughbreds was making heroic claims of immunity for the sport's plutocrats.

In fairness, every other major auction since Keeneland last month had produced falling medians, between 11 and 41 per cent. In the bloodstock market, as on Wall Street, meltdown has been courted through years of avarice – notably in the reckless overproduction of foals by commercial breeders. And no doubt later catalogues here at Tattersalls, containing stock less likely to interest men who might equally buy themselves a Premier League football club, will also prove more vulnerable to the financial tempests beyond. For the time being, however, the yearlings strolled round the ring in the eye of a storm – and the average per lot, against all expectation, held its own at around 115,000 guineas, the same as last year.

Not that numbers ever add up here. It is just that you would think the chronic unpredictability of horses might be dismissed rather less glibly, at times like these. It cuts both ways, after all. In December 2006, in this same ring, a Hungarian trainer spent just 2,000 guineas on a colt by Starborough.

And though victim of heart-breaking circumstance at Longchamp on Sunday, because of a false start, Overdose proved himself beyond question one of the fastest horses in Europe. Still, it is not as if nobody here can see past the end of his nose. The racing world has far broader horizons than once was the case – and nobody has contributed more to that process than Dermot Weld. Yesterday the record-breaking Irish trainer revealed that he will seek a third Melbourne Cup next month with Profound Beauty. In the meantime, moreover, he also hopes that Winchester can profit from his status as one of the freshest European challengers at the Breeders' Cup.

Profound Beauty has been in quarantine for some time already and will leave today. Even so Weld, who followed up his pioneering Melbourne success with Vintage Crop in 1993 when Media Puzzle won six years ago, said that the final decision to take up the challenge had only just been made.

"But I've had it in mind for a long time," he said. "She has only got 51 kilos, and she's a lovely, adaptable Danehill mare. She does have a preference for faster ground, and it was too heavy for her at Leopardstown last time, but she still ran a good race to be third against those colts. And over a mile and six, the time before, she had beaten a 30-year record. I don't tend to pay too much notice to times, but that's what she did." That runaway Listed success remains the only occasion when Profound Beauty has raced beyond a mile and a half, and suggested that she might be blossoming after a truncated three-year-old campaign.

As for Winchester, he could develop into one of the key members of the European team at Santa Anita – not least because the Breeders' Cup Turf does not look any more competitive after the Arc. Winchester was a revelation when tried in blinkers in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in August, winning by seven lengths, but has not been seen since.

"I decided against a prep race because the ground was too heavy," Weld explained. "But I'm very happy with him and, while I would ideally prefer it to be a mile and a quarter again, he will be suited the tight track and top-of-the-ground at Santa Anita."

Winchester will also receive an entry for the Oak Tree Derby, but his priority remains the Turf – where he is now likely to be joined by Eagle Mountain, who will be garden-fresh after resurfacing only last Friday.

That success, over a bare mile, was his first start for Mike de Kock, having been trained by Aidan O'Brien when second in the Derby last year. And if an Irish colt, lodging in Newmarket, is now being prepared by a South African for a race in California, then who can possibly charge racing with being too introspective?

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