Aidan O'Brien has outlined his current thinking regarding his principal Guineas contenders in light of recent trials, with Gstaad potentially heading to France and a sprinting campaign an option for Albert Einstein.
The master of Ballydoyle has won the 2000 Guineas 10 times in his career but not since Magna Grecia struck gold under the trainer's son Donnacha in 2019, and he recently had to reveal that highly-regarded colts Albert Einstein and Gstaad were removed from the first Classic of the season following an administrative error.
Providing an update around his thinking ahead of the Guineas meeting in a couple of weeks, O'Brien suggested that Puerto Rico could be the sole colt in the line-up from his powerful stable.
The trainer told Racing TV's Luck on Sunday programme: "Puerto Rico is there (in the Betfred 2000 Guineas) at the moment and it is very possible that Puerto Rico could go to the Guineas and Gstaad could go to France. Very possible.
"Obviously Puerto Rico has won the last twice in France and he is a pacy horse, a quick horse. We're very happy with him, he progressed with every run and we're very happy with how he wintered. He's relaxed and his pedigree could allow him to do that (stay a bit further than a mile), but he's not a slow horse. He ran in those six-furlong races last year and he improved when stepped up to seven, then improved again.
"Gstaad ran at lots of different tracks (last year) and is a very straightforward horse. It is possible that if everything keeps going well with Gstaad, and that if everyone is happy, he could go to the French Guineas."
A lot of the talk early this year has surrounded Wootton Bassett colt Albert Einstein, who made his seasonal debut with a low-key run at the Curragh on March 28, before finishing third behind Alparslan in Saturday's Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
Reflecting on the run, O'Brien said: "Ryan jumped out and thought they were going to go along a good gallop and they didn't go very fast. He travelled a little bit strong, but nothing bad. Ryan was happy enough.
"I had decided to put a hood on him which probably might not have been the right thing. Ryan just said he didn't respond as quickly as he wanted, he was just a little bit confused when he did ask him to start going forward, which was probably a little bit (because of) the hood. The penny didn't really drop until late.
"But we were happy with the run, it was obviously a good race. The winner is a good colt, the second is a good colt. So we'll see what the lads want to do really."
Sandy Lane possible aim for Einstein
The big question now is whether O'Brien has seen enough in a couple of starts over seven furlongs to warrant adding the horse back into the Guineas picture.
He remains non-committal at this stage, but the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on May 23 has emerged as a potential next port of call if sprinting is the chosen route.
"Listen, we still believe that he is quick," said O'Brien. "We still believe that when he goes back - or if he goes back sprinting - that we're probably going to see the best of him.
"We haven't spoke to the lads yet and Ryan is thinking about it. We'd have to supplement him (for the 2000 Guineas) which would be quite close to the race, so we don't have to make our minds up too quickly. But we think from the Curragh to this run, it will have done him good regardless, whether he goes up to a mile or goes back to six.
"If he's going to a mile, he'll be supplemented for the Guineas, and if he's going back to six, he might go for the Sandy Lane (Haydock) or something like that.
"It's just that he's such a quick horse at home, that keeps coming into our minds and he might be more comfortable sprinting, but we haven't given up on a mile yet."
Precise likely to make it to HQ
O'Brien provided a positive update on the spring progress being made by 1000 Guineas favourite Precise, a striking winner of the bet365 Fillies' Mile when last seen in October.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner was held up in her work earlier in the spring but is looking back on track for a return to the Rowley Mile based on more recent evidence.
"She is doing good, we were very happy with her last piece of work," O'Brien said.
"We had herself and Diamond (Necklace) and it's looking like Precise could go to Newmarket and Diamond could go to France. There's a bit of time to go still, and they could go the other way, but at the moment it's looking like Precise could make Newmarket.
"The plan always was for Precise to go back to Newmarket and for Diamond to go to France. When Precise had that hiccup she missed a bit of time and we didn't know whether she would get back in time. She's not back yet but she's coming back and coming back quickly. So it's very possible."
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