Gstaad Reinstated in Betfred 2000 Guineas Line‑up

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 The colt, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for Aidan O'Brien, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative oversight, a mistake that also affected Albert Einstein.

While Albert Einstein will continue to miss the race, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation process. The other three are the dual‑Group One victor Puerto Rico, the proven performer Causeway, and the promising Flushing Meadows, all of whom are among the twenty colts still being considered for the final field.

The Irish contingent also includes a pair of potential cross‑Channel entries. Fozzy Stack’s lightly‑raced ThisSecretAdversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue may make the trip across the Irish Sea, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will look to extend his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket.

Among the British‑trained horses, George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder has been impressive, winning each of his three starts last season, culminating in a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same distance and course that will be used for 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 in only his second career start. Charlie Appleby could be represented by two runners: the Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail.

Godolphin may also be in the mix with Roger Varian’s Avicenna, while John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, remains a strong candidate. Karl Burke might field three runners – the Greenham winner Alparslan, the Billecart‑trained Billecart, and the Hankelow‑trained Hankelow – while Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands as the lone international challenger.

Into The Sky, a filly who finished a length behind the winner in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will represent Jim Boyle, and Needle Match, who was fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will try to turn that form around for trainer William Haggas. Rounding out the field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain.

In the 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still in contention for 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 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. The filly was dominant in her first four starts as a two‑year‑old before finishing third behind Precise in her final Irish start. Burke’s second string includes Evolutionist, the winner of the Prix de la Grotte.

Charlie Appleby also hopes to repeat his 1000 Guineas success with Kempton winner Abashiri, aiming to become the first trainer to win the race in consecutive years since Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. Godolphin may be represented by French trainer Andre Fabre’s potential entrant My Highness. Additional contenders in the fillies’ race include Owen Burrows’ runner‑up from the Fred Darling Stakes, 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 Classic that promises a highly competitive field across both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas divisions.