A dual Group One winner as a two-year-old, the mount of Kieren Fallon will be joined in the colts’ Classic by stablemates Horatio Nelson and Frost Giant, after O’Brien struck with Footstepsinthesand 12 months ago.

Sir Percy is George Washington’s nearest market rival, with Coral quoting him at 7-2 to give Marcus Tregoning a first Guineas success.

Unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile, the son of Mark Of Esteem ended his two-year-old campaign with Group One success in the Dewhurst Stakes.

Tregoning, who saddled Nayef to finish eighth in 2001, said: “He is very fit and we will have to see if he is good enough.

“My horse hasn’t had any stops, all has gone well with him and there will be no excuses for us.

“A few of Aidan O’Brien’s horses aren’t running so well but I am sure George Washington will be at his peak and don’t forget Horatio Nelson, he is a very good horse and I like him a lot.”

Horatio Nelson was just a neck behind Sir Percy in the Dewhurst having endured trouble in running in the final furlong.

Tregoning told Sky Sports News: “Everyone can make their own judgement on whether he was unlucky or not in the Dewhurst last year.”

O’Brien’s Amadeus Mozart and James Joyce, along with Jim Bolger’s Heliostatic and the Hughie Morrison-trained Supaseus, were the only withdrawals.

Barry Hills will be triple-handed with Craven Stakes winner Killybegs, Greenham victor Red Clubs and Olympian Odyssey.

His son Michael has chosen to ride the former and with Jamie Spencer aboard Feilden Stakes runner-up Olympian Odyssey, Richard Hills will get the leg-up on Red Clubs.

He told Teletext: “I went down to Lambourn to ride him on Wednesday morning in a routine piece of work and Michael rode Killybegs. He decided to ride Killybegs in the Guineas so I am on Red Clubs, who goes there with a great chance.

“He has got a good draw in box three and the stalls are in the middle. There is rain forecast which might not suit him and it was fast ground when the won the Coventry. The faster the better.

“Red Clubs is stepping up to a mile for the first time but he is quite a laid-back horse and most of my father’s horses tend to stay, so I don’t think the distance is any concern at all.”

Spencer will be renewing his association with Olympian Odyssey after the partnership landed a maiden last autumn and finished a short head behind Atlantic Waves at the Craven meeting.

The champion jockey told Racing UK: “Apparently he worked very well yesterday and he went very nicely.

“He is a lovely horse, bred by Sadler’s Wells, and he ran a good race at Newmarket where he was unfortunate not to win. It should have left him right for this weekend.

“I would say he has a good each-way chance but it looks a very competitive Guineas.”

Northern interests will be represented by Kevin Ryan’s Middle Park Stakes winner Amadeus Wolf and Bryan Smart’s Misu Bond.

Neil Callan rode the former in all five of his races last summer and also bagged the Gimcrack Stakes at York, when beating Red Clubs by a length and a half.

The Mozart colt confirmed that form in the Middle Park and the jockey is hoping to take a tow behind one of his rivals.

He said: “Hopefully Sir Percy or one of the others will give me a nice lead.

“He switches off so well when you settle him in behind and when you push the button he does go.

“I rode him the other day in a piece of work and he went well. He hasn’t really grown in height much but he has filled out,” Callan told At The Races.

The stalls will be settled in the middle of the track and clerk of the course Michael Prosser said: “The stalls for both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas will be placed in the centre of the course, as in the past two years when no-one could argue that the best horse did not win.”

Stan James 2000 Guineas betting:

Coral: 7-4 George Washington, 7-2 Sir Percy, 5-1 Horatio Nelson, 7-1 Amadeus Wolf, 11-1 Asset, 12-1 Killybegs, 16-1 Opera Cape, 20-1 Olympian Odyssey, 25-1 Red Clubs, 33-1 Misu Bond, 50-1 Araafa, Close To You, Frost Giant, Final Verse.

William Hill: 7-4 George Washington, 3-1 Sir Percy, 6-1 Amadeus Wolf, 7-1 Horatio Nelson, 10-1 Asset, 16-1 Killybegs, 18-1 Opera Cape, 20-1 Olympian Odyssey, 25-1 Red Clubs, 50-1 Misu Bond, Final Verse, 66-1 Araafa, Close To You, Frost Giant.