O'Brien holds fears for 'pure sprinter' Washington

Breeders' Cup: Aidan O'Brien believes all the odds are against George Washington in Saturday night's Breeders' Cup Classic and stressed his fears over the 10-furlong trip for a horse he described yesterday as "a pure sprinter that happens to get a mile".

The brilliant 2,000 Guineas winner will fly out from Shannon to Louisville, Kentucky, today along with O'Brien's other Breeders' Cup contenders, Scorpion (Turf) and the Mile trio of Aussie Rules, Ivan Denisovich and Ad Valorem.

However, it is George Washington's attempt on the $5 million Classic, and a clash with the top American dirt horses, that O'Brien admitted will be "very exciting and interesting for everyone". The champion trainer said: "All the odds are against him. That's the reality. Every odd that could be against him is against him. But it will make things very exciting and interesting for everyone.

"All that is guiding us is his talent and I would say that circumstances will be his danger. It will be some shock for him, racing on dirt. The dirt over there is like when you rotovate clay and let it dry out. It really does spray back at you.

"And the trip has to be a worry too. We're talking about a horse whose best performance was when winning a six-furlong Group One last year by eight lengths. Now we're asking him to go double that. What we have is a pure sprinter that happens to get a mile.

"Having said that, the lads at home have always thought he would get a mile and a quarter."

O'Brien revealed George Washington will canter on the track on Friday morning but that all the preparatory work has been done with the colt who will be retired to stud after the Breeders' Cup.

Michael Kinane will be on board George Washington and Scorpion as well as teaming up with Ivan Denisovich who looks like getting a run in the Mile with the two horses in front of him in the ballot having first preference entries elsewhere.

"Garrett Gomez will ride Aussie Rules and Jamie Spencer will be on Ad Valorem. Both of those will retire to stud afterwards but Ivan Denisovich could run in the Hollywood Derby afterwards," O'Brien added.

Kinane will get an early taste of Churchill Downs on Friday when he teams up with the Charles O'Brien-trained Lord Admiral in the Grade Three River Falls Handicap over nine furlongs on turf. Lord Admiral was a good third in Santa Anita earlier this month to the main American Breeders' Cup mile hope Aragorn.

Closer to home, the clash of War Of Attrition and Beef Or Salmon in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday looks to be on after both horses appeared among the eight entries at yesterday's forfeit stage.

Also in the list is last season's top novice Justified, winner of the Power Gold Cup, and impressive Gowran winner Sir Oj.

Another Nicholson entry is the Kerry National winner Bothar Na who also has been left in the Grade Three Killultagh Properties Chase over two and a half miles on the same day.

Noel Meade has left three, including the Champion Hurdle candidate Iktitaf, in Friday's Anglo Irish Bank Hurdle at Down Royal. Mister Hight is a possible runner for Willie Mullins.