Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary payment of £30,000 was made to secure his place. The colt, who was originally a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for Aidan O'Brien, was inadvertently removed from the Classic entry list because of an administrative mistake, a fate that also befell Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein will remain absent, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who are still in contention as the field for Monday's confirmation stage takes shape.
The other Ballydoyle horses include the dual Group One victor Puerto Rico, the talented Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows. All four are among the twenty colts that have survived the early cuts and remain viable candidates for the race. In addition, two horses trained by Fozzy Stack – Thesecretadversary – and Robson De Aguiar – Power Blue – may also make the journey across the Irish Sea to contest the Guineas.
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 has been a consistent performer, winning each of his three starts last season, the most recent being a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same course and distance as the Guineas.
Another supplementary entry comes from Charlie Pike, whose Padraig Dawn finished second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in only his second career start, prompting his connections to add him to the field. Charlie Appleby could field two runners: the Dewhurst third Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail. Roger Varian’s Avicenna is also a possible Godolphin representative, while John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, remains a solid option.
Karl Burke may turn out three runners – Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart, and Hankelow – and Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands as the only non‑British challenger. Representing Jim Boyle, Into The Sky – a length second in the Mill Reef Stakes at the tail end of last season – will try to improve on his performance, while Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will be given another chance by William Haggas.
The field is rounded out by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. On the fillies’ side, the ante‑post favourite Precise is among twenty‑two fillies still in the mix for the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday. The daughter of Starspangledbanner has won four of her five juvenile starts, including Group One triumphs in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies’ Mile on the Rowley Mile.
A spring setback threatened to derail her plans for a return to Newmarket on the first Sunday in May, but trainer Aidan O'Brien expressed confidence after a press conference last week, and she was retained for the first fillies’ Classic of the season at Monday's confirmation stage. O'Brien also has the unbeaten Diamond Necklace in his stable, a horse he hinted could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket.
Other Ballydoyle fillies include True Love and Venosa. The home‑trained contingent is led by Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was impressive in winning her first four starts at two before finishing third behind Precise in her most recent Irish start.
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, the only horse in his yard that could repeat Desert Flower’s triumph from a year ago. The Godolphin silks may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French entrant My Highness. Additional fillies’ contenders feature Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ surprise Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate’s stable.
Overall, the race promises a deep and diverse field, with a mixture of proven Group winners, promising juveniles stepping up in distance, and several supplementary entries that have added intrigue to the betting markets. The inclusion of Gstaad after the administrative oversight underscores the fluid nature of the entry process, while the strong contingent of Ballydoyle horses – both colts and fillies – highlights Aidan O'Brien’s continued dominance in the British Classics.
As the confirmation stage approaches, trainers will finalize their selections, and punters will be watching closely to see which of the twenty‑two colts and twenty‑two fillies will ultimately line up on the Rowley Mile for the prestigious 2000 and 1000 Guineas respectively.