Aidan O’Brien‘s leading 2000 Guineas hope Albert Einstein may yet take in a prep race before the opening Classic. The three-year-old was only seen twice in his juvenile season, but has a reputation proceeding him this campaign.
Most of Ballydoyle’s Classic contenders have gone straight to Newmarket in the past. However, O’Brien is without a win in the 2000 Guineas since Magna Grecia won the race in 2019. Since that time, he has had three beaten favourites, including subsequent Derby winners Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy at short odds.
As such, there may be a change of tack when it comes to Albert Einstein’s preparations. He has been given an entry in the Listed Gladness Stakes over 7f this Saturday at the Curragh.
In his brief juvenile career, the 2000 Guineas favourite’s two races were both over shorter trips. The Gladness Stakes is open to those aged three and older, and it awaits to be seen whether he will be declared for the contest on Thursday.
“It’s a long time since he ran” – O’Brien
O’Brien is no stranger to comparing his current charges to past greats. Even with that in mind, the noise surrounding Albert Einstein has been unerringly positive.
After Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy’s Guineas disappointments, O’Brien will feel the pressure to get this year right. Albert Einstein would not appear to be a Derby horse on breeding like those stablemates were.
Therefore options are open for him before May, as O’Brien confirmed on Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast, via the Sporting Life.
“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.”
Both Gstaad and Puerto Rico are also entered in the Gladness Stakes. The pair won juvenile Group 1s late on in 2025, so O’Brien is clearly keen to weigh up numerous options. However, his focus is demonstrably on Albert Einstein’s preparations before all others.
“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.”