Bow Echo and Gstaad lead 15 declarations for 2000 Guineas

Bow Echo and Gstaad head 15 runners in the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday but Aidan O’Brien has decided against running Puerto Rico.

The market for the Classic was thrown into turmoil a few weeks ago when O’Brien withdrew Gstaad and Albert Einstein, at the time two of the ante-post favourites.

It turned out to be an administrative error but the rules stated if O’Brien wanted either of them to run they would have to be supplemented, which Gstaad was at a cost of £30,000 earlier this week. However Puerto Rico, who for a spell looked Ballydoyle’s number one contender, now looks like waiting for the French equivalent.

There has been no such drama for George Boughey and Bow Echo, who came through a racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting with flying colours.

Charlie Appleby has won three of the last four renewals of the race and this year relies on Distant Storm, third in the Dewhurst, and the unbeaten King’s Trail.

Oxagon was an impressive winner of the Craven for John and Thady Gosden and will have the assistance of Oisin Murphy while Avicenna, another who runs in the blue of Godolphin trained by Roger Varian, will aim to give Ray Dawson a first Classic.

Karl Burke’s Alparslan was a surprise winner of the Greenham and takes his chance while Needle Match can be expected to improve on his fourth there given that was just his second run.

Thesecretadversary, Into The Sky, Padraig Dawn, Power Blue, Venetian Prince, Billecart and Lord Britain complete the list.