Get ready for a fantastic performance

Galileo leads Fantastic Light 1-0 in their battle for supremacy, but the 4-9 offered by bookmakers Cashmans fails to recognise tomorrow's Ireland The Food Island Irish Champion Stakes as his toughest task yet.

There are strong reasons for backing his Godolphin opponent at 7-4.

Their pacemaker, Give The Slip, set a frantic gallop in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. But Galileo made first move and, under pressure for the first time in his life, outstayed Fantastic Light.

Frankie Dettori's mount was not placed immediately to react to Mick Kinane's strike and eased when beaten, exaggerating to two lengths the disparity.

The weight-for-age scale, designed to offset a three-year-old's immaturity when facing older rivals, required Fantastic Light to concede 12lb to Galileo that day.

Just over a month on, that task is reduced by 5lb. Strictly, that's enough to reverse the placings, but theory is Galileo will have developed since.

But the ten furlongs of this Group One IR£825,000 contest is Fantastic Light's optimum trip. Galileo's best form to date is over 1m4f, but only one of his opponent's ten career wins has come at that distance.

Conversely, he boasts nothing of the calibre of Fantastic Light's scintillating Prince Of Wales's victory.

Alarmist theory: of the last six threeyearolds to take on their elders in the King George, only scarcely raced Lammtarra produced anything like that level of form again.

Will it be too much, too soon for Galileo as well?

Irish Champion Stakes selections: 1, Fantastic Light; 2, Galileo; 3, Give The Slip.