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 The colt, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for Aidan O'Brien, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative mistake, the same error that also saw Albert Einstein removed from the card. While Albert Einstein will remain absent, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have survived the Monday confirmation stage: dual Group One victor Puerto Rico, the talented Causeway and the well‑regarded Flushing Meadows.

All four are among the twenty colts still being considered for the race. Two additional horses from the Irish circuit may also make the journey across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s lightly‑raced ThisSecretAdversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both listed as possible entrants. On the home side, Bow Echo will be the focal point for British connections, looking to maintain his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile.

George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder has enjoyed a perfect three‑start campaign last season, culminating in a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes, a race contested over the same distance and course as the Guineas. His form suggests he could be a serious contender if he decides to travel to Newmarket. Charlie Pike also has a supplementary entry in Padraig Dawn, who impressed by finishing second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second start.

That performance hints at the colt’s potential to handle the step up in class. Charlie Appleby may field two runners: Distant Storm, a third‑place finisher in the Dewhurst, and the unbeaten King’s Trail, both of which could add depth to the British contingent. Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another Godolphin‑linked prospect that could be entered, 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 be represented by up to three horses: Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow. France is represented by Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan, the sole international challenger listed.

Jim Boyle’s Into The Sky, a length runner‑up in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season, will be backed by Needle Match, while William Haggas will look to reverse the form of Alparslan in the Greenham with his own runner, the fourth‑placed finisher in that race. Completing the British field are Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain, both of whom have shown enough promise to stay on the confirmation list. Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still being considered for the Sunday race at Newmarket. The Starspangledbanner‑sired mare 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 setback threatened to disrupt her preparation for the first Sunday in May, but trainer Aidan O’Brien expressed confidence during a recent press conference, confirming that Precise will be entered at the Monday confirmation stage. Ballydoyle also retains the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who may be pointed toward the French Guineas if Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket. Other Irish runners from the stable include True Love and Venosa.

The home side’s leading filly is Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was dominant in her first four starts at two years old before finishing third behind Precise in her most recent outing in Ireland. Burke’s stable also boasts a strong second string, highlighted by Evolutionist, the winner of the Prix de la Grotte. Charlie Appleby hopes to secure back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories with Kempton winner Abashiri, the only British horse that could repeat Desert Flower’s triumph from a year ago. Godolphin may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness.

Additional contenders for the fillies’ Classic include Owen Burrows’s Fred Darling‑placed Touleen, Ed Walker’s lightly‑raced The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams’s surprise Mill Reef winner Azleet, and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate’s yard. All of these horses have shown enough ability to merit a place on the final card, and their connections will be watching the confirmation results closely to see who will line up on the historic Rowley Mile for the season’s first Classic races.