2000 Guineas

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Gstaad has been supplemented back into the Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket at a cost of £30,000. Along with Albert Einstein, he had been incorrectly scratched from the race earlier this month due to an administration error.  While Albert Einstein remains an absentee, Gstaad is one of four Ballydoyle contenders in contention at Monday's confirmation stage, with dual Group 1 winner Puerto Rico, Causeway and Flushing Meadows also on the list of 20 colts still in the mix. On his Guineas squad, O'Brien said, "The current thinking...

NEWMARKET, UK -- On the kind of morning one dreams about all winter, the wraps came off a clutch of Guineas hopes as George Boughey and Charlie Appleby made good use of the Rowley Mile ahead of the start of the three-day Craven meeting.  Boughey, who trains less than a mile from the racecourse in his new base at the appropriately named Craven House Stables, declared himself to be thrilled with the progress of Betfred 2,000 Guineas favourite Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder), who is already familiar with the track...

The 2,000 Guineas has been dealt another blow with the news that Publish (Kingman) has been ruled out of the Classic with lameness. On Thursday, the champion two-year-old Gewan (Night Of Thunder) was fatally injured during a racecourse gallop at Kempton. A statement released on Friday morning by Publish's owner Juddmonte read, "Unfortunately, Publish was found to be lame yesterday. Early indication has suggested he will need a number of weeks out of work, which means he will not be ready for early season targets.  "A further veterinary examination will...

Year in, year out we can appreciate the best horses of each generation but how often are we granted the privilege to witness one whose talent is so immense that his name will echo down the decades?  Those who made their way to Newmarket's traditional opening meeting 40 years ago likely came away with a favourable impression of Dancing Brave's win in the Craven Stakes but they could hardly have dared to dream of what was to come. For Guy Harwood, however, that dream was already alive, even on that...

The leading Irish trainer also revealed plans for Breeders' Cup winner Balantina, 2,000 Guineas contender A Boy Named Susie and more The temperatures are rising and so too are Donnacha O'Brien's hopes of bagging yet another top-flight success this season, with the gifted young handler revealing that A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) is on course to run in the 2,000 Guineas - however, Breeders' Cup heroine Balantina (Ten Sovereigns) will not be seen until Royal Ascot at the earliest.  But first, O'Brien is plotting an audacious tilt at the lucrative Chairman's...

Andrew Balding will bid to chart a familiar path to Classic glory as connections of Gewan (Night Of Thunder) outlined plans for the Dewhurst Stakes winner to take in the Greenham Stakes prior to a tilt at the 2,000 Guineas - meanwhile, 4.8 million gns purchase Barnavara (Calyx) is nearing her debut Down Under for the same Ace Stud-backed ownership group. It was in the Greenham Stakes where Balding unleashed subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean in 2023. However, disaster struck in the early-season Group 3 when Frankie Dettori was unshipped...

Reappearing for the first time since debuting in a hot Newmarket July Festival maiden, Amo Racing and Valmont's Billecart (Night Of Thunder) made light work of his Thursday assignment at Newcastle to keep Classic dreams alive. Far too strong for his three peers in the mile novice on the Tapeta, the 380,000gns Tattersalls Book 2 purchase will be campaigned with the 2,000 Guineas and Irish equivalent in mind according to Karl Burke. "He had a little injury last year, but sometimes they can be a blessing and he's one of...

Aidan O'Brien has outlined his early-season Classic plans and revealed that he will consider running Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) and Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett)in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket this spring. The Ballydoyle handler has saddled a record 10 winners of the Rowley Mile Classic and possesses another strong hand ahead of this year's renewal, with Gstaad and Puerto Rico joined towards the head of the ante-post betting by stablemate Albert Einstein, (Wootton Bassett) who missed the second half of his two-year-old campaign through injury. Gstaad and Puerto Rico did get...

Breeders Bobby and Honora Donworth on what an Irish 2,000 Guineas triumph means to the team at Roundhill Stud Relief rather than unbridled joy was the first emotion that came to proud breeders Bobby and Honora Donworth, who have opened up on what they have labelled as a 'rollercoaster' of emotion in the build-up to Field Of Gold's emphatic triumph in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas.  The team at Roundhill Stud in County Limerick, one of the most esteemed nurseries of equine talent Ireland has to offer, admitted to having been...

From Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel to James Ingram and Michael McDonald, the personal playlist of Phil Cunningham, carried in the names of many of his horses over the years, has provided the perfect accompaniment to some memorable days on the turf.  In fact, back in 2007, legendary singer/songwriter Steve Harley, who died last year, was spotted among the merry throng after Cunningham's Cockney Rebel (Ire) sprang a 25/1 surprise in the 2,000 Guineas. He would go on to complete a Classic double at the Curragh three weeks later.  On...

Twain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is a doubtful runner in Saturday's Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket due to an unsatisfactory scope, Coolmore revealed on Tuesday. "Following his work this morning, Twain (Wootton Bassett) didn't scope 100% so is unlikely to run in the 2,000 Guineas @NewmarketRace and may now be aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas instead," read a statement posted to X by Coolmore (@coolmorestud). "Expanded (Wootton Bassett) is likely to be @Ballydoyle's only runner in the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday." Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile, including...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 17 colts remain in contention for Saturday's Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, headed by the impressive G3 Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The potential field is down from the 24-strong group who stood their ground at the latest entry stage, with last year's G2 Coventry Stakes scorer Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) featuring among those who were taken out of the race on Monday. Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}),...