Albert Einstein could make his eagerly-awaited seasonal debut at the Curragh on Saturday.
Aidan O'Brien's highly-regarded colt hasn't been seen in action since winning his two juvenile starts early on in 2025, with the trainer recently nominating him as the "number one" contender from Ballydoyle being geared towards the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 2.
It was stated he would potentially head straight to the first Classic of the Flat season but the son of Wootton Bassett has been given an entry, along with six of his stablemates, for this Saturday's 1xBet.ie Supports Irish Racing Gladness Stakes, a Listed race over seven furlongs.
Speaking on Wednesday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, O'Brien explained: "We were obviously taking the horses to the Curragh on Sunday to work and that's where they're going. Yesterday wasn't a bad day but we had plenty of rain last night, but obviously the Gladness is there. Albert obviously hasn't run, he's not like a typical one of ours that's going to the Guineas first time out, because he only had a couple of runs at the very start of last year.
"It's a long time since he ran so we were just debating whether we should give him a run before the Guineas and if we were going to do that then where would that be. Then we just thought our only two options were the Curragh or Leopardstown and obviously he's planned to go to the Curragh on Saturday.
"We have the other horses in as well (Expanded, Gstaad, Neolithic, Puerto Rico, Twain and Warsaw also entered for the Gladness) but we're just trying to think what way the ground's going to be and what way the horse is going to be after he did a half-speed (work) yesterday. We were very happy with what he did.
"We'll see what kind of race it is and whether it's the right thing to start him there, go to Leopardstown or go straight. It just might be more important to him to get a run into him.
"So it's all a bit up in the air but there is a possibility that he could go to the Curragh on Saturday, and the reason is it's such a long time since he ran. They are all the things going on in the lads' heads at the moment."
Albert Einstein is the current 7/2 favourite with Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the 2000 Guineas, while fellow Gladness Stakes entries Gstaad and Puerto Rico can be backed at 12/1 and 14/1 respectively.
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