Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary fee of £30,000 was paid to secure his place. The decision came after an administrative oversight saw the Aidan O'Brien‑trained Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor mistakenly withdrawn from the Classic, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein.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 have survived the Monday confirmation stage and will contest the race. The other three Irish contenders are the dual Group One winner Puerto Rico, the proven performer Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still in contention. In addition to the Ballydoyle entries, several other horses could make the trip across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s sprinter Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both being considered for the trip, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will line up as the sole British hopeful, looking to maintain his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile.
George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder is another strong candidate; he won all three of his starts last season, culminating with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes, a race run over the same course and distance as the Guineas. Charlie Pike has 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. The entry list also features a potential double‑handed effort from Charlie Appleby, who could field both the Dewhurst third Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail. Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another possible Godolphin 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 may field a trio of runners: Greenham winner Alparslan, the French‑trained Billecart, and the promising Hankelow. From France, Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands as the sole international challenger. Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, a length second in the Mill Reef Stakes at the close of last season, will represent his stable, while Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will aim to reverse that form for trainer William Haggas.
Completing the field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain. On the fillies’ side, the ante‑post favourite Precise is among twenty‑two fillies slated to contest the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday. Precise, a daughter of Starspangledbanner, 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 derail her plans for a May return, but Aidan O'Brien expressed optimism after a press conference last week, confirming her presence in the first fillies’ Classic of the year at Monday’s confirmation stage. O'Brien has also retained the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and is fit for Newmarket, as well as the talented True Love and the filly Venosa.
The home contingent is led by Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was dominant in her first four starts at two before finishing third behind Precise in her most recent outing in Ireland. Burke’s stable also includes the Prix de la Grotte winner Evolutionist as a potential second string. Charlie Appleby’s sole hope of securing back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories after Desert Flower’s triumph a year ago is Kempton winner Abashiri.
Godolphin may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s French hopeful My Highness. Additional fillies in the mix include Owen Burrows’ 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. Overall, the 2000 Guineas field is shaping up to be a diverse and competitive assembly of talent from Ireland, Britain, and continental Europe. The inclusion of Gstaad, after the administrative error was corrected, adds another high‑class contender to an already strong Ballydoyle contingent.
With multiple horses from the same trainers, the race promises tactical intrigue as jockeys and trainers decide how best to employ their stablemates. Meanwhile, the 1000 Guineas will feature a mix of proven Group One winners and emerging talent, with Precise leading the betting market but facing stiff competition from other top‑class fillies such as Diamond Necklace, Venetian Sun, and the French entries. As the confirmation stage concludes, the final starters will be confirmed, setting the stage for two of the season’s most prestigious Classic races at Newmarket’s iconic Rowley Mile.