THIS year, it feels like there has been more news on horses missing the Betfred 2000 Guineas, with the remaining talk focussing on which horses Aidan O’Brien will run where.

Top-class two-year-old Gstaad will be Ballydoyle’s sole runner in the first classic of the season, but Ireland will also be represented by the Fozzy Stack-trained Thesecretadversary and Robson de Aguiar’s Power Blue, both of whom could arguably be overpriced at current prices of 25/1 and 66/1 respectively.

The pair share a recent run in the Red Rocks Stakes, which Stack’s colt won in taking style, while Aguiar’s charge finished a fine second on his first start since winning the Phoenix Stakes last August.

Last year’s winner of the 2000 Guineas Trial, Henri Matisse, went on to win the French 2000 Guineas, while the 2021 victor Poetic Flare followed up at Newmarket.

Stack’s colt has enjoyed a trouble-free preparation since then, Stack told The Irish Field: “I’ve been happy with him since Leopardstown. He landed into Newmarket last night (Thursday), and hopefully everything keeps going the way it’s going.”

On whether he thinks the dual stakes winner is overpriced, the trainer replied: “I suppose there’s that argument but then you could say that the third [Redemption Road] was only rated 89, so there’s plenty ways of looking at it. He won well, so he’ll take his chance and hopefully he runs a good race.”

Thesecretadversary won the seven-furlong Group 3 going away and previously won a seven-and-a-half-furlong listed race, beating Brussels, who later took second in the Dewhurst Stakes. Stamina isn’t a concern for the son of St Mark’s Basilica, but represents a new test for Power Blue, for whom the Red Rocks Stakes was a first start over seven furlongs.

All positive

Robson de Aguiar, however, isn’t worried. “He’s very laidback and Space Blues won over a mile, so I think he’ll stay the one-mile trip no problem. If he doesn’t stay, we have the opportunity to drop back in trip,” he reported.

Additionally, Power Blue’s dam was twice stakes-placed over a mile and finished fourth in a 10-furlong Group 3 on heavy ground. His damsire is Worthadd, who finished second in the Lockinge Stakes and won five group races over a mile to a mile and three furlongs.

As with Stack’s colt, it has been smooth sailing since Leopardstown, De Aguiar added. “He’s been going well since then; I’m very happy with him. He travelled over well and is eating, drinking, doing everything the right way.”

Power Blue won his Group 1 when trained by Adrian Murray, whose operation de Aguiar played a huge role in, before taking out his own licence in later 2025. The fledgeling trainer, who also bought his stable star, recognises the huge achievement of just having a runner in a classic.

“I’m looking forward to it and hopefully everything works out,” he said. “It’s exciting to have such a good horse running in a classic in my name; last season we had California Dreamer finish second in the Irish 1000 Guineas, but under Adrian Murray’s name.”

While Stack and de Aguiar’s raiders are both bigger prices, it’s worth noting that only one favourite has obliged in the last 10 runnings. The top three in the betting haven’t run this season, which might seem to be a disadvantage, but that isn’t backed up by the statistics.

Of the last 20 winners, 13 were making their first start of the year. However, the last three winners had the benefit of a recent run, so perhaps this particular statistic isn’t one to follow.