Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary payment of £30,000 was made to secure his participation. The colt, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner trained by Aidan O'Brien, was originally omitted from the Classic field because of an administrative oversight, a mistake that also affected Albert Einstein.
While Albert Einstein will remain a non‑starter, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation deadline. Those three are the dual Group One champion Puerto Rico, the accomplished Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still in contention.
In addition to the Irish contingent, several British‑trained horses may make the trip across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both being considered for the race, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will look to preserve his unbeaten record on the Rowley Mile.
George Boughey, whose son of Night Of Thunder captured three victories last season, capped his campaign with a win in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same distance and course that will be used for the Guineas. A second supplementary entry has also been confirmed: Charlie Pike’s Padraig Dawn, who finished a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second start, has been added to the field. Charlie Appleby may be represented by two runners – the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail – while Roger Varian could field his Avicenna for Godolphin. John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains a strong prospect.
Karl Burke might turn out three runners, including the Greenham winner Alparslan, the well‑run Billecart, and the promising Hankelow. France will be represented by Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan, the sole international challenger. Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, who was a length behind the winner in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will line up for William Haggas, hoping to improve on his previous form.
Also in the mix are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. Turning to the 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still standing for the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner enjoyed a stellar juvenile campaign, winning four of her five 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 preparation for the first fillies' Classic of the year, but Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic after a press conference last week, and Precise has been retained for Monday's confirmation stage. O'Brien also retains the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket. Other Ballydoyle fillies in the mix include True Love and Venosa.
On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who won her first four starts at two before finishing third behind Precise in her final Irish start, will be a key contender. Burke also has a second string featuring Evolutionist, the winner of the Prix de la Grotte. Charlie Appleby hopes to repeat his success from a year ago when Desert Flower captured the 1000 Guineas; his sole entry for this year is the Kempton winner Abashiri, who will be looking to secure back‑to‑back victories for the stable. Godolphin may be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness.
Additional fillies include Owen Burrows’s Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’s surprise Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and James Tate’s unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop. Overall, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas fields are shaping up to be exceptionally deep, featuring a blend of proven Group winners, promising juveniles stepping up in distance, and a handful of international entrants. Trainers are balancing the need to keep their horses fit after the winter break with the desire to secure a place in the season‑opening Classics. The supplementary fees paid for Gstaad and Padraig Dawn underline how valuable a Guineas start can be for owners and breeders, offering both prestige and a potential boost to a colt's future stud value.
With the confirmation deadline fast approaching, punters and racing enthusiasts alike will be watching closely to see which of these highly rated runners finally secure their spots on the row‑filled Rowley Mile for the first Saturday of May.