Eclipse Stakes: George Washington can prove his star credentials by overturning Derby hero Authorized in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown today.
Although the four-year-old ended last season as the top miler, an unsuccessful spell at stud over the winter rather lowered his stock in the eyes of many.
However, that piece of misfortune can actually be a stroke of luck in disguise as George Washington now gets the opportunity to prove himself over middle distances and he looks the pick of the four Ballydoyle runners.
Aidan O'Brien's charge has attempted 10 furlongs once before, when finishing a slightly unlucky-in-running sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic on a dirt surface that was foreign to him.
He was then packed off to Coolmore but showed that brief sojourn to the breeding sheds had not affected his racing ability when making a satisfactory reappearance in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
There was a slight suspicion there the mercurial George Washington might have kept a little up his sleeve as he ran on late to finish a half-length fourth behind Ramonti and O'Brien believes the step up in trip will provide few problems.
Only the easy ground raises any kind of doubt but the Sandown track is drying all the time and the Danehill colt won the QEII on good to soft so there is every hope he will handle it.
Authorized looks plenty short enough as all the statistics are against him, so George Washington rates a value bet.
Seamus Heffernan takes over on the enigmatic colt from regular partner Mick Kinane, who will be aboard Vodafone Derby 10th Admiralofthefleet, with Colm O'Donoghue partnering Archipenko. Fran Berry takes the ride on Yellowstone.
The four-year-old tackled this trip for the first time when sixth in the Breeders' Cup Classic last autumn and O'Brien will check on ground conditions in Esher before deciding if all four of his runners go to post.
O'Brien said of George Washington: "He is in great form. He came out of Ascot well and has done a couple of pieces of work since then, which we have been very happy with.
"We were worried when we took him into the parade ring at Ascot as we didn't know what to expect with him, having been away at stud, but he behaved well and took it on the chin.
"He was very fresh during the early part of the race but was staying on late, as he did at Goodwood last year after a break."
Clive Brittain believes his globetrotting contender Kandidate should not be underestimated and he could prove a good each-way bet. The five-year-old has not been seen since finishing fifth in the Singapore Airlines International Cup.
"I love these two-horse races as it looks as though there are two horses in the race and nothing else there," said Brittain. "But let them be there as he (Kandidate) has never been in better form than he is at the moment."
Supplementing the Eclipse is the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Sprint Stakes, in which Reverence can show the rest of them a clean pair of heels.
Eric Alston's star sprinter is in a different league with plenty of dig in the ground as his wins in the Nunthorpe and Sprint Cup illustrated and he can defy a Group One penalty in this minimum-trip dash.
Rio Riva relishes a bit of cut and after a confidence-boosting success at Newcastle last time, he can notch a quick double in the totescoop6 Stakes.
Finalmente has a good opportunity to consolidate upon his Gold Cup fourth in the Addleshaw Goddard Stakes.
Meanwhile, the meetings scheduled for Haydock, Nottingham and Leicester today were abandoned yesterday, leaving just three meetings for punters to get to grips with this afternoon.
