Derby winner Workforce will miss the Irish Derby on 27 June, with his return to be in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on 24 July.

After setting a course record at Epsom, it was thought the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt might go to the Curragh.

But owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "Workforce will go to the King George.

"The thinking is he had a tough enough race in the Derby and the Irish Derby just comes a little bit too soon."

Workforce's Derby triumph, a fifth for Stoute, resulted in the horse taking almost a second off the previous track record set by 1995 winner Lammtarra.

606: DEBATE Are Workforce's owners right to bypass the Irish Derby?

Grimthorpe reiterated that Workforce's connections were keen to extend the recuperation period before a return at next month's Ascot meeting.

"He's a big, scopey horse and we want to give him that bit more time for the King George," he added.

"He's in good form, the Arc will be the objective after that and we'll have to see how he gets there."

Workforce has been compared to Shergar in some quarters, although Stoute was keen to play down the comparison to the horse who won the Derby at Epsom in 1981 by 10 lengths.

"That comparison is premature, let's wait to see how he gets on in his next race or two," he told BBC Look East after Workforce beat At First Sight by seven lengths in the 231st running of the classic.

"He's a big, sort of rangey horse, who's certainly not fully developed by a long way.

"He's got a lot of talent, it's no fluke to run the Epsom mile-and-a-half in two minutes, 31 seconds. He's full of potential."

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