Gstaad has been reinstated into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary payment of £30,000 was made to secure his entry. The colt, a product of Aidan O'Brien’s stable and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative oversight, a mistake that also affected Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein will continue to miss the race, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation process.
Those three are the dual Group One victor Puerto Rico, the proven performer Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still being considered for the event. Beyond the Irish contingent, there are several British‑trained horses that could make the journey across the Irish Sea.
Among them are Thesecretadversary, trained by Fozzy Stack, and Power Blue, who runs for Robson De Aguiar. The home‑trained field is anchored by Bow Echo, who will test his unbeaten record on the Rowley Mile in a bid to add a classic win to his résumé. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder has been impressive, winning each of his three starts last season, culminating with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same course and distance that will be used for the Guineas.
A second supplementary entry comes from Charlie Pike’s Padraig Dawn, who finished a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second career start, suggesting he has the class to compete at the highest level. Charlie Appleby may field two runners: the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail, both of which could add depth to the British representation.
Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another potential Godolphin entrant, while John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains in contention. Karl Burke could field three horses: Greenham winner Alparslan, the well‑regarded Billecart, and the promising Hankelow. France’s sole representative is Samangan, trained by Francis‑Henri Graffard. Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, a length second in the Mill Reef at the end of last season, will line up for William Haggas, while Needle Match, who was fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, hopes to reverse that form.
Rounding out the field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. On the fillies’ side, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies targeting the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday. Precise, a daughter of Starspangledbanner, boasts four wins from five juvenile starts, including Group One victories in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies' Mile on the Rowley Mile.
A spring setback threatened to derail her campaign, but Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic after a recent press conference, confirming her place in Monday’s confirmation stage for the first fillies’ Classic of the year. Ballydoyle also retains the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who O'Brien hinted could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins and remains fit for Newmarket.
Other Irish entries include True Love and Venosa. The home‑trained fillies are led by Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who won her first four starts as a two‑year‑old before finishing third behind Precise in her final Irish outing.
Burke’s second string features Evolutionist, the Prix de la Grotte winner, adding further intrigue. Charlie Appleby hopes to repeat his success in the 1000 Guineas with Kempton winner Abashiri, the only horse in his stable capable of delivering back‑to‑back victories after Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. Godolphin may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness. Additional fillies’ contenders include Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ shock Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate’s yard.
All of these horses will be looking to make an impact in the classic races at Newmarket, whether in the 2000 Guineas for colts and geldings or the 1000 Guineas for fillies, as trainers and owners finalize their fields during the crucial confirmation stage.