Gstaad has been re‑supplemented into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket for a fee of £30,000. The horse, a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor trained by Aidan O'Brien, was originally withdrawn from the Classic because of an administrative mistake, a mishap that also affected Albert Einstein. While Albert Einstein remains a non‑starter, Gstaad joins three other Ballydoyle runners who are still in contention at Monday's confirmation stage. Those include the dual Group One winner 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, other potential entrants could make the journey across the Irish Sea. Fozzy Stack’s colt Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar’s Power Blue are both being mentioned as possible additions. The home‑trained side is represented by Bow Echo, who will test his unbeaten record over the Rowley Mile in the classic distance. George Boughey’s son of Night Of Thunder is another strong candidate.
The three‑year‑old won each of his three starts last season, capping the campaign with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes, a race run over the same course and distance as the Guineas. A second supplementary entry comes from Charlie Pike’s Padraig Dawn, who finished runner‑up in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on only his second career start. Charlie Appleby may have a double representation in the field with third‑placed Dewhurst winner Distant Storm and the unbeaten King’s Trail, while Roger Varian’s Avicenna is also being considered as a possible Godolphin runner.
John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon, who beat Avicenna into second place in the Craven Stakes, remains in the mix as well. Karl Burke could field up to three runners: Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow. The only non‑British challenger is Francis‑Henri Graffard’s Samangan, who would be the sole international raider.
Representing Jim Boyle, Into The Sky – a length second in the Mill Reef at the end of last season – will line up alongside Needle Match, who finished fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham. Both will be looking to improve their form for trainer William Haggas. The remaining spots are likely to be filled by Andrew Balding’s Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed’s Lord Britain, completing a diverse field of twenty‑two runners.
In the fillies' division, the ante‑post favourite is Precise, one of twenty‑two fillies aiming for the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday. The 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 setback threatened to derail her campaign, but trainer Aidan O'Brien remained optimistic after a recent press conference, confirming her place in the first classic for fillies of the year at Monday's 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 prospects include True Love and Venosa. The home side is led by Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun, who was dominant in her first four starts at two before finishing a respectable third behind Precise in her final Irish start.
Burke also has a 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, following Desert Flower’s triumph a year earlier. The Godolphin colours may also be represented by Andre Fabre’s potential French challenger My Highness.
Other fillies in the mix include Owen Burrows‑trained 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 stable. All of these horses add depth and intrigue to what promises to be a highly competitive classic meeting at Newmarket, with both the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas offering a showcase of the season's most promising three‑year‑olds.