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The decision came after a clerical mistake saw the Aidan O'Brien‑trained Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor mistakenly withdrawn from the Classic, alongside Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein remains a non‑starter, Gstaad joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation process. Those three are the dual Group One champion Puerto Rico, the proven performer Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still in contention.
Beyond the Irish contingent, a number of British‑trained horses are also looking to make the crossing of the Irish Sea. Among them are Thesecretadversary, trained by Fozzy Stack, and Power Blue, who is under the care of Robson De Aguiar.
Both have shown enough form to merit a trip to Newmarket. Representing the home stable is Bow Echo, who will test his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile, the same straight‑track that hosts the Guineas. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder is another notable entrant. He captured all three of his starts last season, capping the campaign with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes, a race contested over the exact distance and course of the Guineas.
Charlie Pike also submitted a supplementary entry in the form of Padraig Dawn, who impressed by finishing second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second career start. Charlie Appleby may field two runners: Distant Storm, who finished third in the Dewhurst, and the unbeaten King’s Trail.
Both are seen as credible threats. Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another Godolphin‑linked prospect that could line up for the race.
John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains in the mix and is expected to hold his own. Karl Burke could have a three‑horse string representing him: Alparslan, the Greenham winner; Billecart; and Hankelow. French trainer Francis‑Henri Graffard’s sole international challenger is Samangan.
Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, a length‑second in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will be partnered with Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham. Needle Match will aim to reverse that form for trainer William Haggas. Rounding out the field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. All of these colts will be measured against the ante‑post favourite, Precise, who is one of twenty‑two fillies targeting the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.
Precise, a daughter of Starspangledbanner, has 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‑time setback threatened to derail her campaign, but Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic after a press conference last week, confirming that she will contest the first fillies’ Classic of the season at the Monday confirmation stage.
The Ballydoyle stable has also retained the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who O'Brien hinted could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket. Other Irish‑trained fillies in O'Brien’s stable include True Love and Venosa. The home stable’s leading filly is Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was dominant in her first four starts at two before finishing a respectable third behind Precise in her final Irish start.
Burke also has a strong second string featuring Evolutionist, the recent winner of the Prix de la Grotte. Charlie Appleby’s sole hope of achieving back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories is Kempton winner Abashiri, who would emulate Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. Godolphin may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness.
Additional contenders include Owen Burrows’ Fred Darling runner‑up 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. The race promises a rich tapestry of international talent, with Irish, British and French trainers all vying for the coveted Classic.
The field’s depth is highlighted by the mixture of proven Group One winners, promising juveniles stepping up in distance, and seasoned campaigners seeking to add a Classic win to their records. As the confirmation stage draws to a close, the final grid will showcase a blend of speed, stamina and tactical versatility, ensuring a fiercely contested showdown on the historic Rowley Mile.