Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary fee of £30,000 was paid. The colt, a product of Aidan O'Brien’s stable and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative mistake, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein remains a non‑starter, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle hopefuls who have survived the Monday confirmation stage. Those three are the dual Group One victor Puerto Rico, the high‑class Causeway and the well‑regarded Flushing Meadows, all of whom are still among the twenty colts listed for the race.
The field may also feature two Irish runners who could make the crossing to England. Fozzy Stack’s ThisSecretAdversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both being considered for the trip, while the home‑trained contingent is led by Bow Echo, who will test his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder, who won all three of his starts last season—including a decisive victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes on the Guineas course—has also been entered.
A second supplementary entry comes from Charlie Pike, who entered Padraig Dawn after the colt finished a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in only his second career start. Charlie Appleby could field two runners: the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail, while Roger Varian may add Avicenna, another Godolphin prospect, to the lineup. John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, is also set to defend his place. Karl Burke might turn out a trio of runners—Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow—while Francis‑Henri Graffard will be represented by the sole international challenger Samangan.
Representing Jim Boyle is Into The Sky, who was a length second in the Mill Reef at the end of last season, and William Haggas will field Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham and will be looking to reverse that form. The remaining slots are filled by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still in contention for the Sunday race at Newmarket.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner enjoyed a stellar juvenile campaign, winning four of her five starts, including Group One triumphs in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies’ Mile on the Rowley Mile. A spring‑time setback threatened to derail her preparation for the first Sunday in May, but Aidan O’Brien remained optimistic after a recent press conference and confirmed her place at the Monday confirmation stage. O’Brien has also retained the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who may be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket.
Other Ballydoyle runners include True Love and Venosa. On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was dominant in her first four starts as a two‑year‑old before finishing third behind Precise in her final Irish start, will be supplemented.
Burke’s second string includes Evolutionist, the winner of the Prix de la Grotte. Charlie Appleby hopes to secure back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories with Kempton winner Abashiri, following Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. The Godolphin colours could also be carried by Andre Fabre’s potential French entrant My Highness.
Additional contenders are Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced filly The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ shock Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate’s yard. Overall, the 2000 Guineas field is shaping up to be a blend of seasoned Group performers, promising Irish challengers, and home‑grown talent, while the 1000 Guineas presents a strong lineup anchored by the highly rated Precise and supported by a mix of proven winners and emerging prospects. Both Classics promise a competitive showdown as trainers finalize their entries and the racing public anticipates the outcomes on the historic Rowley Mile.