Richard Fahey suspects his history making sprinter Powerful Glory (Image) might need the run when he kicks off his four-year-old campaign in Saturday's Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh.

The Cotai Glory colt stunned the racing world last October when he became the longest priced winner of a European Group One race, landing the British Champions Sprint Stakes at astronomical odds.

With marquee summer targets at Royal Ascot and Newmarket already circled on the calendar, the Musley Bank handler, who trains in partnership with his son Peter, is confident the horse will still put up a bold showing in Ireland.

"He’s in good form, he’s wintered well and we are pleased with him," Fahey said. "He’s ready for his first run. Royal Ascot is only a month away and he has to run somewhere so we will see what happens."

Fahey noted that sprinters typically need a prep run to fully tune up, admitting his star is not entirely wound up just yet. However, he stressed the colt is fit enough to do himself justice and pointed out that Group One winners have very few options outside of competing at the top table, as they are effectively barred from Listed or conditions events.

While his immediate path is clearly mapped out, Fahey hopes Powerful Glory might eventually stretch out to seven furlongs. The trainer also dismissed any weather concerns, highlighting the horse's proven versatility on everything from very heavy ground to a good to firm surface.

O'Brien expects Sha Tin improvement from Comanche Brave

In the same Curragh feature, Donnacha O’Brien is hoping Comanche Brave can capitalise on his recent international experience. The sprinter returns to home soil after taking on Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in last month’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin.

O'Brien reports his charge is in excellent form and training beautifully ahead of the weekend assignment.

"We thought he coped with six furlongs very well in Sha Tin. He was against some very high quality horses around a bend which he wouldn’t be used to, so we were very pleased with that effort," O'Brien explained.

The trainer noted his horse suffered a few bumps in the straight and believes a cleaner passage could have resulted in a third or fourth place finish. Having successfully acclimatised to the relentless tempo of elite Hong Kong racing, O'Brien is completely confident Comanche Brave will show marked improvement upon his return to Ireland.

Image: Focus On Racing