Leopardstown 'too soon' for George Washington

Racing: George Washington's return to action will have to wait a little longer after the star colt's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, ruled out an appearance in Sunday's Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown.

The brilliant 2,000 Guineas winner worked at Ballydoyle yesterday morning, and though he satisfied connections, an early comeback start at home was knocked on the head.

"He seems to be fine but we probably won't be supplementing him tomorrow for Leopardstown. It comes just a bit too soon and he need a little more time," O'Brien said.

George Washington's return now seems more likely to be in the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood on Saturday week, though who will ride him in that race remains unknown.

"There will be no problem finding a jockey. What we are concentrating on is getting the horse back first. He got a severe injury and it's taking time," added the champion trainer.

George Washington injured muscles in a hip when finishing runner-up to Araafa in the Irish Guineas in May and hasn't been seen in action since apart from a light workout after racing at Naas two weeks ago.

O'Brien has nominated the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot next month as a prime objective for the triple Group One winner and is keen for a new jockey to familiarise himself with the colt before that race.

George Washington earned a 124 rating for winning last year's Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes, and last weekend's winner of the same race, Holy Roman Emperor, has been described as "in the top drawer" of O'Brien's eight winners of the Group One event.

Holy Roman Emperor has been given a 118 plus rating by the handicapper Garry O'Gorman who admitted to being very impressed by the colt's performance.

"We have upped him by 5lbs on a literal reading of the length-and-three-quarters winning margin but the way he won, if it was a handicap, we would have put him up at least 10lbs," O'Gorman said.

"It certainly puts him in the top drawer of O'Brien-trained winners of the race. George Washington was 124 and Johannesburg was 121 but I would certainly have Holy Roman Emperor ahead of the likes of Spartacus, Lavery and One Cool Cat," he added.

O'Brien also confirmed yesterday that Holy Roman Emperor is likely to run in Sunday's Group One Prix Morny at Deauville after emerging unscathed from last Sunday's defeat of Hellvelyn.

"At the moment that is the plan and we are unlikely to run anything else," he said.

Probable opposition to Holy Roman Emperor in France is likely to include Peter Chapple Hyam's Norfolk Stakes winner Dutch Art. The Windsor Castle hero Elhamri, trained by Sylvester Kirk, is also a likely runner.

Chapple Hyam said yesterday: "Dutch Art definitely goes for the Morny unless it gets very soft, which he wouldn't like. It could be a very hot race but it's a Group One so you'd expect it to be. He'll have to take on the likes of Holy Roman Emperor at some stage."

However, Hellvelyn's trainer, Bryan Smart, nominated Newmarket's Middle Park Stakes next month as a next race for his previously undefeated colt.

"We are obviously disappointed to have lost an unbeaten record but we're not suicidal as we still have a lovely, quality horse who looks like being a nice three-year-old," Smart said.

"Obviously Holy Roman Emperor is very good but one thing I am pleased about is the way my horse stayed on when he was passed. We were coming back at the winner. If anything we were a little keen early on and he lost nothing in defeat," he added.

The Irish challenge for next week's Ebor festival at York is starting to take shape and the Con Collins-trained Dandy Man remains a strong favourite to win his first Group One in the Nunthorpe Stakes.

O'Brien is eyeing the Yorkshire Oaks for Alexandrova and could run the Irish Derby hero Dylan Thomas in the Juddmonte International. But he described Hitchcock, who is generally quoted at 14 to 1 for the big handicap prize in the Ebor, as an unlikely starter.

"He only has 7.9 and I don't think he will get in," O'Brien said.

Dermot Weld's sole contender for York is the three-year-old filly Reform Act, who won her last start in a Listed contest at Cork.

"She could run in the Galtres at York or I could wait instead for the Park Hill later in September," Weld said. "She is a lovely staying filly who is very progressive and she bounces off firm ground."