Racing Apr 27, 2026

2000 Guineas: Gstaad added back into Newmarket mix after Aidan O'Brien admin error

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
2000 Guineas: Gstaad added back into Newmarket mix after Aidan O'Brien admin error

Gstaad has been supplemented back into the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket at a cost of ÂŁ30,000.

Aidan O'Brien's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner was mistakenly taken out of the Classic due to an administration error, along with Albert Einstein.

While the latter remains an absentee, Gstaad is one of four Ballydoyle contenders in contention at Monday's confirmation stage, with dual Group One winner Puerto Rico, Causeway and Flushing Meadows also on the list of 20 colts still in the mix.

Fozzy Stack's Thesecretadversary and Robson De Aguiar's Power Blue could also cross the Irish Sea, while the home team is headed by Bow Echo, who will put his unbeaten record on the line over the Rowley Mile.

George Boughey's son of Night Of Thunder won each of his three starts last season and signed off with a victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes over the Guineas course and distance.

There is a second supplementary entry in Charlie Pike's Padraig Dawn, who finished second in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on just his second career outing.

Charlie Appleby could be double-handed with Dewhurst third Distant Storm and the unbeaten King's Trail, while Roger Varian's Avicenna is another possible runner for Godolphin.

John and Thady Gosden's Oxagon beat Avicenna into second in the Craven Stakes and also stands his ground.

Karl Burke may be triple-handed with Greenham winner Alparslan, Billecart and Hankelow, While Francis-Henri Graffard's Samangan is the sole international raider.

Into The Sky, a length second in the Mill Reef at the back end of last season, represents Jim Boyle and Needle Match, fourth behind Alparslan in the Greenham, will attempt to reverse the form for William Haggas.

The field is completed by Andrew Balding's Venetian Prince and Ismail Mohammed's Lord Britain.

Ante-post favourite Precise is one of 22 fillies to stand their ground for the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner won four of her five juvenile starts, including Group One wins in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and the Fillies' Mile over the Guineas course and distance on the Rowley Mile.

A spring setback threatened to derail plans to return to Headquarters on the first Sunday in May, but trainer Aidan O'Brien was upbeat when asked about her participation at a press morning last week and she was left in the first fillies' Classic of the year at Monday's confirmation stage.

The Ballydoyle handler has also left in the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who he suggested could head for the French Guineas so long as Precise won her race to be fit for Newmarket, as well as True Love and Venosa.

The home team is headed by the Karl Burke-trained Venetian Sun, who was impressive in winning her first four starts at two before finishing third behind Precise on her final start in Ireland. Burke has an interesting second string to his bow in Prix de la Grotte victor Evolutionist.

Kempton winner Abashiri is Charlie Appleby's sole hope of claiming back-to-back 1000 Guineas wins following Desert Flower's triumph 12 months ago, while the Godolphin silks could also be carried by Andre Fabre's potential French raider My Highness.

Other contenders include the Owen Burrows-trained Fred Darling runner-up Touleen, Ed Walker's lightly-raced filly The Prettiest Star, Stuart Williams' shock Nell Gwyn winner Azleet and the unbeaten Darn Hot Gallop from James Tate's yard.

Tags:

racing news

Share this article