Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary fee of £30,000 was paid. The colt, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for Aidan O'Brien, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative mistake, a fate that also befell Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein will still miss the race, Gstaad joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation stage. Those three are the dual‑Group One victor Puerto Rico, the accomplished Causeway and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still being considered for the event.
In addition to the Irish entries, there are several British‑trained horses that could make the journey across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both potential travelers, while the home‑grown hopeful Bow Echo will look to extend his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder also boasts an impressive résumé, having won each of his three starts last season, the last of which was a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes on the same course and distance as the Guineas.
Charlie Pike has also submitted a supplementary entry in the form of Padraig Dawn, who finished second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second career start. Charlie Appleby could field two runners – Distant Storm, who placed third in the Dewhurst, and the unbeaten King’s Trail – while Godolphin’s representative Avicenna, trained by Roger Varian, remains a possible addition. John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who bested Avicenna to finish second in the Craven Stakes, is still in the mix and will likely defend his position. Karl Burke may turn out a three‑horse contingent comprising Alparslan, the Greenham winner, along with Billecart and Hankelow.
France will be represented by a single challenger, Samangan, trained by Francis‑Henri Graffard. Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, who was a length runner‑up in the Mill Reef Stakes toward the end of last season, will line up for the Needle Match.
William Haggas will be looking to reverse the form with his fourth‑place finish behind Alparslan in the Greenham. Completing the field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favorite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still standing for the race on Sunday.
Precise, a daughter of Starspangledbanner, won four of her five starts as a juvenile, including Group One victories in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies' Mile on the Rowley Mile. A spring setback had raised concerns about her readiness for the first Sunday in May, but Aidan O'Brien expressed confidence at a recent press briefing, confirming that she will contest the first fillies' Classic of the year at the Monday confirmation stage. O'Brien has also kept the unbeaten Diamond Necklace in his plans, suggesting the colt could target the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket. Other Ballydoyle hopefuls include True Love and Venosa.
On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun leads his stable’s charge. The filly was dominant as a two‑year‑old, winning her first four starts before finishing third behind Precise in her most recent Irish outing.
Burke also has a strong secondary runner in 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.
Godolphin may be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French entrant My Highness. Additional contenders include Owen Burrows’ runner‑up from the Fred Darling Stakes, Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced filly The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ surprise Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate’s yard. All of these horses round out a diverse and competitive field for both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, promising an exciting weekend of top‑class flat racing at Newmarket.