The Ballydoyle stable has taken the unusual step of re‑entering Gstaad into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, paying a supplementary fee of £30,000 to secure his place. The decision comes after a clerical mistake saw the Aidan O'Brien‑trained colt, who captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf earlier in his career, mistakenly withdrawn alongside stablemate Albert Einstein.
While Einstein will remain absent, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle hopefuls who have survived the Monday confirmation process: dual Group One champion Puerto Rico, the well‑regarded Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows. All four are among the twenty colts still being considered for the Classic.
Other British‑trained runners looking to make the crossing from Ireland include Fozzy Stack’s ThisSecretAdversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue, both of whom could be sent across the Irish Sea. The home‑trained contingent is led by Bow Echo, an unbeaten three‑year‑old who will test his perfect record over the Rowley Mile in the Guineas.
George Boughey’s son of Night of Thunder also boasts a flawless record, having won each of his three starts last season, the most recent being 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 impressed on his second career start by finishing a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle. Charlie Appleby may field two runners – the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail – while Roger Varian’s Avicenna remains a possible Godolphin representative.
John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also stays in the mix, as does Karl Burke, who could turn in a triple effort with Alparslan (the Greenham winner), Billecart, and Hankelow. The only non‑British entrant on the card is Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan, a lone international challenger.
Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, who was a length runner‑up in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will represent Needle Match, while William Haggas hopes to reverse the form with his fourth‑placed Greenham runner Alparslan. The field is rounded out by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still standing for the race on Sunday.
The Starspangledbanner daughter has already claimed four victories from five juvenile starts, including Group One triumphs in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies’ Mile on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. A spring setback threatened to derail her campaign, but Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic during a recent press conference and confirmed her presence at the Monday confirmation stage, making her the first fillies’ Classic of the season. 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 in contention are True Love and Venosa. On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who won her first four starts as a two‑year‑old before finishing third behind Precise in Ireland, will be backed by a strong second string that includes the Prix de la Grotte victor Evolutionist. Charlie Appleby hopes to repeat his 1000 Guineas success from a year ago with Kempton winner Abashiri, the only horse in his stable still vying for back‑to‑back victories after Desert Flower’s win twelve months earlier. Godolphin may be represented by French trainer Andre Fabre’s potential entrant My Highness.
Additional fillies on the card include Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’ surprise Nell Gwyn winner Azleet, and James Tate’s unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop. Each of these horses brings its own story and form line, contributing to a deep and varied field for both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas. The supplementary fees, the cross‑channel entries, and the mix of proven Group winners with promising newcomers set the stage for a thrilling start to the British flat‑racing season, with trainers and owners hoping their charges can capitalize on the prestige and prize money on offer at Newmarket’s historic Rowley Mile.