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 horse, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor 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 still miss the race, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle hopefuls who have survived the Monday confirmation stage. The other three are the dual Group One champion Puerto Rico, the versatile Causeway and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom remain among the twenty colts still under consideration.
Beyond the Irish contingent, a few British‑trained runners may also make the trip across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both listed as possible entrants, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will aim to preserve his unbeaten record on the Rowley Mile.
George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder has been in fine form, winning each of his three starts last season, the most recent being a triumph in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same distance and course that will be used for the Guineas. A second supplementary entry has been lodged by Charlie Pike for Padraig Dawn, who 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’s Avicenna also remains a strong possibility for the Godolphin operation.
John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, is still on the entry board and appears ready to contest the race. Karl Burke may field up to three horses: Greenham winner Alparslan, the well‑handled Billecart and the improving Hankelow.
From France, Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands alone as the sole international challenger. Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, who was a length second in the Mill Reef Stakes toward the end of last season, will represent Needle Match, while William Haggas will look to reverse the form with his fourth‑placed Greenham runner Alparslan. Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain round out the remaining entries on the British side.
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 has been impressive throughout her 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‑time setback threatened to disrupt her preparation for the first Sunday in May, but Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic during a recent press briefing and confirmed that Precise will be among the fillies entered 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 fillies still in the mix are True Love and Venosa. On the home front, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun leads his stable’s representation; the mare won her first four starts at two before finishing third behind Precise in her most recent Irish start. Burke also has a second string in the Prix de la Grotte winner Evolutionist.
Charlie Appleby hopes to secure back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories with Kempton winner Abashiri, the only horse in his stable still in contention after Desert Flower’s win a year earlier. Godolphin could be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French entrant My Highness. Additional fillies include Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ shock Mill Reef 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 race, adding depth and intrigue to a field that promises to be highly competitive.
In summary, the 2000 Guineas field has been reshaped by the late addition of Gstaad, bringing the total number of Irish‑trained contenders to four, while the 1000 Guineas sees Precise firmly established as the market favourite among a diverse group of fillies from Britain, Ireland and France. Both Classics at Newmarket are set to deliver thrilling contests as trainers finalize their entries and jockeys prepare for what could be defining moments in their horses’ careers.