George Washington Set For Guineas Double Trainer Aidan O'Brien launches a four-pronged assault on the Boylesports Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday with recent English Guineas winner, George Washington, his number one contender. O'Brien is bidding for his fifth victory in the race while jockey Kieren Fallon is going for his first win and their charge is certain to start an odds on favourite despite fears about the suitability of the likely soft ground on Saturday. George Washington will be trying to become only the fourth horse since 1990 to complete the English-Irish 2000 Guineas double after Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Rodrigo De Triano (1992) and Tirol (1990) and will face a maximum of ten rivals after eleven horses after declared to run this morning (Thursday). O'Brien's other runners are Hurricane Cat, Arabian Prince and River Tiber while trainer Dermot Weld, successful in the race in 1986 with Flash Of Steel, runs Golden Arrow and Jim Bolger and John Oxx, both yet to win the race, will be represented by Heliostatic and Caribbean respectively. Winner of the Loughbrown Stakes and the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh already this season, the Kevin Prendergast trained Decado will be trying to give his trainer a second success in this Classic having saddled Northern Treasure to spring a 33/1 shock thirty years ago while there are also two English raiders engaged. The Jeremy Noseda trained Araafa was fourth to George Washington at Newmarket last time out and tries again while last month's Leopardstown winner, Yasoodd, trained by Mick Channon, will be hoping to improve on his ninth placing in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp two weeks ago. The Boylesports Irish 2000 Guineas is set to go to post at 3.55 pm on Saturday where the first of seven races is off at 2.15 pm and there is a Jackpot Pool guarantee of ?20,000.
