Gstaad has been re‑entered into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after a supplementary payment of £30,000 was made to secure his place. The colt, a product of Aidan O'Brien’s Ballydoyle yard and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, was originally omitted from the Classic due to a clerical mistake, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein remains a non‑starter, Gstaad now joins three other Ballydoyle hopefuls at the Monday confirmation stage. Those three are the dual Group One victor Puerto Rico, the well‑regarded 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, a few other entries could make the journey across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both being looked at as possible participants, while the home‑trained Bow Echo will take his unbeaten record onto the Rowley Mile, hoping to add a classic win to his résumé. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder has been in impressive form, winning each of his three starts last season, the most recent being the Royal Lodge Stakes over the same distance and course as the Guineas. His performance has earned him a supplementary entry alongside Charlie Pike’s Padraig Dawn, who finished a close second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle in only his second career start.
Charlie Appleby may have a double representation in the field, with his Dewhurst‑placed Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail both slated to run. Roger Varian’s Avicenna is another strong candidate for the Godolphin stable, while John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, also remains in contention. Karl Burke could field three runners: Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart, and Hankelow. Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan stands alone as the only international challenger in the mix.
Representing Jim Boyle, Into The Sky – a length second in the Mill Reef Stakes at the end of last season – will aim to improve his form, while Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will try to turn the tables for trainer William Haggas. The remaining slots are filled by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain, rounding out a diverse and competitive field.
Turning to the Betfred 1000 Guineas, the ante‑post favorite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies still being considered for the race on Sunday. The daughter of Starspangledbanner has a stellar juvenile record, 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 injury threatened to derail her campaign, but O'Brien remained optimistic after a recent press conference, confirming that Precise will contest the first fillies' Classic of the year at the Monday confirmation stage. O'Brien has also retained the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who may be aimed at the French Guineas provided Precise is fit after her Newmarket run.
Other Ballydoyle fillies in the mix include True Love and Venosa. On the home side, Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who won her first four starts as a two‑year‑old before finishing a respectable third behind Precise in her last Irish start, will be backed by a solid second string that includes Prix de la Grotte winner Evolutionist.
Charlie Appleby hopes to secure back‑to‑back 1000 Guineas victories with Kempton winner Abashiri, the only horse in his stable with a realistic chance after Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. The Godolphin colors could also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French entrant My Highness. Other notable fillies 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.
All these contenders bring a mixture of proven Group success, promising form, and international intrigue to what promises to be a thrilling edition of both the 2000 Guineas and the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.