Joseph O'Brien seems to send out a Melbourne Cup hopeful weekly, and he has another likely contender in the Lloyd Williams colourbearer Point King.
After breaking his maiden by four and a quarter lengths at Fairyhouse on June 10, the 3yo son of Zoffany added a conditions race at Leopardstown over 13f eleven days later.
Point King made it three on the bounce when passing his stakes test with aplomb in the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes over 14f at Leopardstown on Thursday.
Ridden by Shane Crosse, Point King defeated Simply Glorious (War Front) by two and a quarter lengths with Shajak (Zarak) a further one and a quarter length back in third.
"He's gone up another furlong in trip and Shane said it was a good strong gallop all the way," stable rep Brendan Powell told Irishracing.com.
"He said what he liked about him was that he's usually had to be hard on him to win, but today he actually quickened up from two out and he was just 'hands and heels' and waving the whip at him in the last furlong.
"He's improving all the time and he seems to go on this sort of ground as well. He's a big horse, but he floats on it.
"I don't know where he goes from here; that'll be up to Joseph.
"He's the most relaxed horse and he's the same at home. You wouldn't know what's left in the tank."
Bred and offered for sale by Rockfield Farm, Point King was an £80,000 purchase for O'Brien at the 2020 GoffsOrby Yearling Sale.
His dam Loved (Galileo) is a sister to Group II Beresford Stakes winner Battle Of Marengo.
Rockfield Farm will consign a No Nay Never (USA) half-sister to Point King to next month's Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.
