In his Racing Post Stable Tour, Aidan O'Brien said of Steinbeck that "the birds in the trees are singing about [him]".
The enigmatic handler is most averse to the slightest criticism of his own horses - and who is to fault him - but the remark was interesting nonetheless.
Perhaps 'AP' was merely trying to 'big up' the colt's father, Footstepsinthestand, whom Coolmore are clearly keen to promote.
They had an advertisement about Footsteps in the Post today (Tuesday), extolling the performance of one of his first sons to run - and he merely managed to come second in a maiden.
Nonetheless, Steinbeck must be of interest for several reasons. He was entered in a maiden at the Dante meeting, but instead debuts in a winners' race tomorrow (Wednesday) at Naas.
Jim Bolger's filly in the race, Gold Bubbles, looks highly promising in the same race; indeed, she easily beat a useful Ballydoyle colt on her debut.
Moreover, to add to the intrigue, it was at Naas that Footstepsinthesand landed a huge gamble on his debut, when he beat stable ally Olympic, a monstrously expensive Danzig colt who never ran again.
Footstepsinthesand was unbeaten in a thrice-raced career and was an early Classic success for his father, Giant's Causeway, this side of the Atlantic. Steinbeck would have to be pretty special to win this race on his debut.
The birds, though, clearly thought they were in the company of something special.