Some months ago, George Washington was retired to stud but due to some problems with his fertility it has been decided that the mercurial colt will return to training and rejoin trainer Aidan O’Brian’s team at Ballydoyle. If things go as planned, he could be ready to compete at Ascot.

George Washington is currently kept away from the rest of the group while he readjusts to competition life. “He’s still there, so I haven’t seen much of him yet,” O’Brien explained. “We need to reintroduce him to other horses two or three at time, that’s the way it is at the moment, which is natural enough."

O’Brien also said that the horse’s reappearance would be at Ascot, maybe for the Queen Ann Stakes. As to George Washington’s difficult character, which he showed when he refused to enter the winner’s enclosure at Newmarket, O’Brien said that he thought his attitude had improved.

“His mind gets unraveled and put back together again. I’ve always thought he was mentally immature, but as the year went on he got better. I haven’t had one come back to me from stud before so it will be interesting to see how he takes to it again now.”