by Tony Smurthwaite

One of the most fascinating episodes of the year in European racing will come to a head Tuesday on Royal Ascot's opening card when George Washington — or “Gorgeous George” as he has become known — returns to the racecourse.

The electrifying miler turned Coolmore stallion ought to have been covering mares in the peace and tranquility of County Tipperary, Ireland, this week rather than having the eyes of the racing world on him in the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-G1).

George Washington's sub-fertility at stud led the Coolmore team to bring him back to the racecourse, and thus onto a path littered with potholes for trainer Aidan O'Brien given the Danehill colt's wayward behavior at times during his previous racing career.

He declined to enter the winner's enclosure after victory in last year's Stan James Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and had to be walked backwards out of the parade ring prior to the Boylesports Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1), in which he ran second.

The task of taming a stallion back into a racehorse appears to be going as well as could have been expected, so much so that George Washington is set to start a warm favorite to win for the fifth time in Group 1 company.

The main danger looks to be Red Evie, the mare who transformed herself from average handicapper to Group 1 winner last season with Newmarket trainer Michael Bell and who returned in 2007 to add the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes (Eng-G1) at a mile at Newbury in May. A neck separated her on that occasion from Godolphin's Italian import, Ramonti, who resumes rivalry and is joined in the field of eight by stablemate and outsider Notability.

Cheveley Park Stud paid the supplementary fee to make a late entry for its Machiavellian colt Cesare, who has progressed since winning the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap at the Royal meeting in 2006. Cesare has yet to win in pattern-race company, but is held in high regard by trainer James Fanshawe.

Former French champion jockey Freddie Head saddles his first Royal Ascot runner in Racinger. The Spectrum colt is on a hat-trick after twice beating Turtle Bowl by a neck at Saint-Cloud this season, and his arch rival gets a chance for his third win this year in more rarified company for trainer Francois Rohaut.

Tony Smurthwaite is a Europe-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent