Stamina worries swing Churchill towards the Irish Guineas

The latest vibes suggest Churchill is more likely to bid for a 2,000 Guineas double at the Curragh on Saturday instead of waiting to try for Derby glory a week later.

We've been told that is the most likely scenario, although we've had the usual soundings about "nothing has been set in stone". But keeping the Qipco 2,000 Guineas winner to a mile, at least for the immediate future, seems to be "the lads'" preferred plan.
Indications are that there are serious doubts about Churchill's stamina for one and a half miles and that would appear to be foremost in the thoughts of his connections and the main reason for avoiding Epsom.

The Derby has no bigger fan than John Magnier, so the signals from Aidan O'Brien in recent days, and the reasons behind them, all but tell us that it will be the Irish Guineas.

Of O'Brien's seven winners of the Newmarket Guineas, prior to his record-breaking eighth victory in the Classic this year, only two of them ran in the Derby. King Of Kings trailed in last at Epsom in 1998 through lack of stamina and being found to be lame, while Camelot went on to win the Derby and the Irish equivalent.