Dermot Weld has been around the track enough times to know never to get too high or too low about his stable's latest 'good thing'.
But even at this time of his career, the 74-year-old master of Rosewell House hardly bothers to contain his enthusiasm for his superstar filly, Homeless Songs.
The three-year-old Irish 1,000 Guineas winner will be back in harness at Leopardstown on Saturday following an extended break during the unusually dry summer.
Although keen to stress that the daughter of Frankel is coming in off a hefty lay-off, Weld feels his charge looks as good as she possibly could ahead of Saturday's Matron Stakes.
"I'm very pleased with her. She's had a long summer break," he told Ruby Walsh on RTÉ 2FM's Game On show. "It's nice to have her. This is the start, really, of her autumn campaign."
It's a campaign that, all going well, should take her all the way to the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland on the first week of Novemeber.
"We'll probably look to include the Group One in France on Arc day and maybe all the way to the Breeders' Cup in November," Weld said.
"I'm delighted with her progress. What a wonderful summer we've had, but as a result the ground has been incredibly firm. She hasn't had the opportunity to work on grass - actually, once she's been on grass, to be quite honest.
"So I have her as forward as I can..."
Dermot Weld reflects on the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas win of Homeless Songs, while remembering his much-missed late stable jockey Pat Smullen. pic.twitter.com/SFpRXYYFoI
Weld first won the Matron 20 years ago with Dress To Thrill and followed it up in 2011 when Emulous made it home ahead of the rest. Homeless Songs is a short-price to make it a hat-trick for the Curragh trainer.
"I'm just happy with the
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