Public defiance isn't Aidan O'Brien's style, but there are clear signs of him relishing the idea of revenge for George Washington in next month's St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot.
The superstar colt's two-length defeat by Araafa on heavy ground in Saturday's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas was described yesterday by the champion trainer as a "reality check", and there was no hint of fear of a likely rematch.
"He will love the St James's Palace and we're looking forward to it," said O'Brien, who argued the defeat could ultimately benefit his temperamental champion.
"The idea is to make the horse, and racing on different types of ground will make a man of him," he said. "In many ways he's like a spoilt child. You'd like to give him a clip around the ear, but you can't because we don't want him to get resentful."
There may be only five days to the Epsom Derby, for which the Ballydoyle maestro has four possible candidates, but even with racing's blue riband in sight, the charismatic George Washington continues to exercise O'Brien's thoughts.
"The one thing he loves to do is race, but what I liked yesterday was the way he left the ring. There wasn't a bother on him. He has to learn to grow up a bit. He didn't like the ground at all, and if it's better at Ascot we will hope to be there," he added.
Plans are less clear for Epsom, as O'Brien revealed Horatio Nelson missed one bit of work recently with a stone bruise. A series of work-outs this week will determine whether he joins the Ballydoyle team in the Derby.
"Horatio was the class horse last year but has missed that bit of work, so we will have to see how he is," said the champion trainer, who will leave a decision on which horse Kieren Fallon rides to the jockey.
"Dylan Thomas did well last time but isn't sure to get the trip. Septimus might even get farther than a mile and a half, and Mountain was trapped six wide on his last start. They are our possible runners. I'll give information to Kieren when he rides them in work, but it will be his decision," O'Brien added.
Araafa's trainer, Jeremy Noseda, also gave no hint of crying off a rematch with George Washington.
"It's 1-1 and we will look forward to a rematch in the St James's Palace," he said.
Saturday's classic was also a first for jockey Alan Munro since he won the 1991 Irish Derby on Generous, but there was no disguising the influence of the very heavy ground.
The Group Three Greenlands Stakes, won by Moss Vale, couldn't be started from stalls, while the Group Two Ridgewood Pearl Stakes went to the 40 to 1 shot Pout, ridden by Danny Grant. She completed a rare double for the West Cork trainer John Murphy, whose Newmill won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
The 2004 Irish Derby hero Grey Swallow will have his last race for Dermot Weld in the Grade One Manhattan Handicap at Belmont in two weeks before continuing his career in the USA with trainer Richard Dutrow Jnr.
Closer to home, Jim Bolger has paid out £20,000 to supplement the unbeaten filly Galatee into Friday's Oaks at Epsom, a race Bolger won 15 years ago with the 50 to 1 outsider Jet Ski Lady.
