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 The colt, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor for Aidan O'Brien, had originally been withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative mistake, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein.
While Albert Einstein will still miss the race, Gstaad joins three other Ballydoyle runners who have made it through to Monday's confirmation stage. The other 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 event. Among the Irish challengers, Fozzy Stack’s Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue could also make the crossing of the Irish Sea, while the home‑trained contingent is led by Bow Echo, who will try to preserve his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder proved his class last season by winning each of his three starts, capping the campaign with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes at the same distance and course that will be used for the Guineas.
A second supplementary entry comes from Charlie Pike, whose Padraig Dawn finished second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in only his second career start. Charlie Appleby may have a double representation with Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail, while Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another possible Godolphin runner. John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains in contention. Karl Burke could field a trio comprising Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow, while Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands as the lone international entrant.
Representing Jim Boyle, Into The Sky – a length second in the Mill Reef at the end of last season – will aim to turn his form around for trainer William Haggas. Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will also try to improve his performance. The field is rounded out by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain.
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. The daughter of Starspangledbanner has won four of her five starts as a juvenile, including Group One triumphs 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 when questioned about her participation at a recent press conference, and she has been retained for the first fillies' Classic of the year at Monday's confirmation stage.
O'Brien has also kept the unbeaten Diamond Necklace in his plans; the colt could be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise wins her race and remains fit for Newmarket. Other Ballydoyle prospects include True Love and Venosa. On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun leads his stable.
The filly was dominant as a two‑year‑old, winning her first four starts before finishing a respectable third behind Precise in her final Irish start. Burke also has a strong second string featuring 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 horse in his yard capable of repeating Desert Flower’s triumph from a year ago. The Godolphin colours may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness.
Additional contenders for the 1000 Guineas 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 stable. All of these horses will be looking to make an impact as the Classics approach, adding depth and intrigue to both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas fields.