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The 2,000 Guineas market has been blown wide open - is there a convincing candidate amongst the leading competitors?

Chris Cook looks into the opening Classic after Albert Einstein's bad return on Saturday

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The 2,000 Guineas market searches in a state of shock. Albert Einstein, all the rage over the previous week, ran listed below expectations at the Curragh on Saturday and instantly ceased to be preferred.

He was bound to need that first follow ten months but, even after making all possible allowances, it's really tough to see him winning the Betfred-sponsored Classic at the start of May. It appears like Aidan O'Brien would quite like to go sprinting with him.

' I believe he's a sprinter, he finds it very hard to go sluggish' - Aidan O'Brien's response to Albert Einstein's Curragh flop
2,000 Guineas dream is over for Albert Einstein - so where does the Classic worth lie now?
Punters are going to need a couple of days to decide what they think about the Guineas, now that the hot fav has disappeared through a trapdoor. It aims to me as if Bow Echo has been left in front rather than picked.

Time to remind ourselves of the leading competitors who stay. These are the leading 10 in existing betting lists. Is there a convincing candidate in this lot?

Bow Echo (9-2)

Has a beautiful, relaxed method of racing which assists take advantage of his capability. But it looked like Publish had him beat before hanging and tiring at Haydock, and Bow Echo has a couple of pounds to discover with numerous of his Guineas competitors, according to Racing Post Ratings.

Publish (5-1)

Looked like he was about to do something truly remarkable in the Ascendant Stakes, when he went from last to initially throughout a hot part of the race. Perhaps it was easy to understand that he could not rather last home, handing the lead back to Bow Echo. But he took 2 goes to win a maiden and didn't make it look easy when getting his very first success at chances of 4-7. A great looker with apparent skill who needs to get better at taking advantage of himself.

Gewan (7-1)

Game and professional, he bounced alertly from the stalls in the Dewhurst, was always to the fore and remained on stoutly. May have been assisted by transferring to the rail in the closing phases but made that position by behaving better than Gstaad early on. Two things trigger punters to question him: his flop in the Champagne (when he was favourite) and the reality he was 25-1 in the Dewhurst, which makes people worry that possibly it was a fluke. If you more than happy to put a line through the Doncaster run, he surely looks the ideal favourite.

Gstaad (7-1)

Ran too complimentary under restraint in the Dewhurst, which became his 3rd narrow defeat in a Group 1. Had looked a star in the Coventry and looked it once again at the Breeders' Cup however probably versus horses he was entitled to beat. Disconcerting that Aidan O'Brien appeared to fancy Albert Einstein as his primary Guineas competitor however Gstaad might now inherit that status. Having been the dominant force in the Guineas, O'Brien hasn't won it since 2019, not wishing to have his horses peak prematurely in the year.

Distant Storm (12-1)

Represents the new dominant force in the 2,000 Guineas, Charlie Appleby, who has actually trained 3 of the last 4 winners. A bonny chestnut, he was favourite for the Acomb (won by Gewan) however destroyed his opportunity by defending his head early on. Settled better for hold-up techniques and hacked up in the Tattersalls Stakes. But the back was the wrong location to be in a progressively run and he succeeded to face 3rd. In the most popular part of the race, nothing was faster than him.

Puerto Rico (14-1)

Already a double Group 1 winner, on Arc weekend and at Saint-Cloud. A sure stayer who made a great deal of improvement through last season. Represents Aidan O'Brien and a most likely prospect for the French Guineas, provided his success in France in 2015. Dangerous anywhere he goes.

Talk Of New York City (16-1)

Another from Appleby's lawn, he has some satisfaction to make after getting beat at 4-9 in the Jumeirah 2,000 Guineas in Dubai at the end of February. A lack of experience was the worry for him after a single impressive success at Kempton which showed the issue as he stopped working to settle. A Newmarket Guineas seems a tall order from this point.

Hawk Mountain (16-1)

Another from O'Brien's yard, he 'd be fully entitled to have a swing at a Guineas on the strength of his win in the Futurity at Doncaster in October. But the fitness instructor obviously sees him more as a Derby contender, saying: "He'll be trained for Epsom or France."

' My impulse is that she's an unbelievable filly' - Aidan O'Brien's exclusive horse-by-horse guide to his 2026 group
Hidden Force (20-1)

Could he be another Notable Speech? Like that Guineas winner from two years earlier, Hidden Force is trained by Appleby and has actually started his career with 2 very pleasing winter season wins at Kempton. There's plenty more to prove, of course, but he's easy on the eye and the precedent is there.

King's Trail (20-1)

What's this? Another one from Appleby's yard who has actually started his profession with two Kempton wins this winter season. On ratings, he has more to find than Hidden Force and perhaps a top-class mile is going to be on the sharp side for him.

Verdict

Everything else is available at 33-1 or larger, so if you if you have a strong fancy that I have not discussed, for goodness sake have a couple of quid on before everybody cottons on, and after that email frontrunner@racingpost.com to inform me about it.

Likeable as Bow Echo is, I'm not encouraged he's made the right to be 2,000 Guineas favourite. It would make more sense for the market to put its faith in the Dewhurst form and have Gewan and Gstaad fighting it out at the top.

I keep in mind liking Distant Storm's perform at the time and, seeing the Dewhurst once again, I still like it. At a basic 12-1, he's quite attractive. Granted a strong speed, his hold-up techniques can work much better than they performed in October.

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