[NoChanceToDance]

I'm not convinced that Aidan wanted to run him here, either. He was quoted a few weeks before saying that George would go for the Champion Stakes (at Newmarket the weekend before), which looked like a Gr1 he could win, and judging by the result, a Gr1 he would have won.

It was only at the last moment that he was not declared in that race and then a press release said that GW was going for the Classic.

Aidan isn't the sort of person to change his mind. He has a plan for all of his horses and tries to work to that plan as close as possible. I would be very surprised if it was his decision to run him at Monmouth, especially in the Classic. He is employed by the Coolmore bosses, i quite think they made the decision, not Aidan..... and there is a chance that it was against Aidan's choice.

I quite think that was the same with Dylan Thomas. There was never ANY talk of running in the BC Turf after they said he's run in the Arc. I remember having this conversation with someone a month or two ago. I said if they ran in the Arc, they wouldn't go to the BC, not when there is only 20 days inbetween. Even right before the Arc they said America wasn't really on the agenda. They said if he won the Arc (we all know he did) that would be the end for him. If he didn't win, they would "consider" the BC for him. So, naturally, after he won i just thought he had been retired. Yet about three days later they had confirmed him for the BC Turf. The decision seemed to come right out of the blue.

My guess would be that John Magnier wanted as many runners as possible for the BC this year.

Judging from news reports after George's tragic injury, there were no words between O'Brien and Magnier. Aidan (along with family) left Monmouth very quickly after the incident.