George Washington could show up in Champion or Breeders' Cup Mile

George Washington could show up in Champion or Breeders'

Cup Mile

On Thursday, trainer Aidan O'Brien spoke out over the decision not to declare

GEORGE WASHINGTON (Ire) (Danehill) for Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1)

at Ascot and named the Breeders' Cup and Newmarket's Champions' Day as potential

targets.

Although it was widely expected that Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick

Smith's four-year-old would defend his crown in the mile contest, the

announcement on Wednesday that he would make way for EXCELLENT ART (Pivotal) and

DUKE OF MARMALADE (Danehill) was not a total surprise, according to his trainer.

"We never said he was a definite runner and the decision not to run him was

basically because we are considering other possible targets for him," O'Brien

told the Racing Post. "The (October 20) Champion S. (Eng-G1) at Newmarket is one

race we will be looking at and there is also the (October 27) Breeders' Cup Mile

([G1] at Monmouth)."