Gstaad has been reinstated into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary payment of £30,000 was made to secure his place. The decision came after an administrative mistake saw Aidan O'Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf champion inadvertently withdrawn from the Classic, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein will remain absent, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who are still in contention at the Monday confirmation stage.
Those three are the dual Group One winner Puerto Rico, the talented Causeway and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still being considered for the race. In addition to the Ballydoyle contingent, other connections are eyeing a trip across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue have both been mentioned as possible entrants, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will be looking to defend his unbeaten record on 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 over the same course and distance that will be used for the Guineas. Charlie Pike has also submitted a second supplementary entry in the form of Padraig Dawn, who finished a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in only his second career start.
The trainer’s confidence in the youngster suggests that he believes the colt can handle the step up in class that the Guineas represents. Charlie Appleby may be represented by two runners: the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail. Both have shown considerable ability in their recent outings and could provide a strong challenge for the field.
Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another possible Godolphin‑linked runner, while John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains in the mix. Karl Burke could field up to three horses, with Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow all listed as potential entries. French trainer Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands alone as the sole international challenger among the British and Irish runners.
Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, a length‑second in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will be backed by the Needle Match partnership, while William Haggas will be hoping to reverse the form of his Greenham runner Alparslan, who finished fourth in that race. Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain round out the remaining slots in the field.
Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still being considered for the race on Sunday. Precise is a daughter of Starspangledbanner and enjoyed a brilliant 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 setback threatened to disrupt her preparation for the first Sunday in May, but trainer Aidan O’Brien expressed optimism during a recent press conference, confirming that she will be entered in the first fillies’ Classic of the year at the Monday confirmation stage. O’Brien’s stable also retains the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who has been hinted at as a potential French Guineas contender provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket.
Other Ballydoyle fillies in the mix include True Love and Venosa. Representing the home trainers, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun will lead the British contingent. Venetian Sun was impressive as a two‑year‑old, winning her first four starts before finishing third behind Precise in her final Irish start. Burke also has a second string in the form of Evolutionist, the 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 follow in the footsteps of Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. Godolphin may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s French challenger My Highness.
Other notable fillies include Owen Burrows‑trained 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 yard. All of these horses add depth and intrigue to a Guineas programme that promises a blend of proven Group winners, promising juveniles stepping up in distance, and a few international outsiders seeking to make a mark on the historic Newmarket course. In summary, the 2000 Guineas field now features a revived Gstaad alongside a strong Ballydoyle contingent, several Irish hopefuls, and a handful of British trainers hoping to capitalize on home‑track advantage. Meanwhile, the 1000 Guineas sees Precise firmly entrenched as the market favourite, with a diverse lineup of fillies ranging from seasoned Group One winners to emerging talent, each aiming to claim the first classic of the season.
The confirmation stage on Monday will determine the final composition of both races, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting start to the British flat‑racing season.