‘The computer went bananas’: error at O’Brien yard removes horses from 2,000 Guineas
The betting market for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on 2 May was thrown into confusion on Tuesday when two significant candidates from the Aidan O’Brien stable, Gstaad and Albert Einstein, were taken out of the race, apparently as the result of an administrative error.The chaos was then compounded later in the day by uncertainty over whether a plan to re-engage both colts if necessary at a cost of £30,000 each might be prohibited by the rules of entry, before the British Horseracing Authority confirmed that supplementary entries would in fact be accepted.Gstaad, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in November, was priced up on Tuesday morning at around 6‑1 for the first Classic of the season, and seen as potentially the Ballydoyle first string for a race the stable has won a record 10 times.He assumed the role of O’Brien’s No 1 contender after Albert Einstein, the winner of his first two starts as a juvenile in 2025 but unraced beyond May because of injury, finished only sixth of 10 runners on his three‑year‑old debut in a Listed race at the Curragh three days ago.Despite that reverse, however, and a subsequent suggestion that Albert Einstein might revert to sprinting with the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot as an initial target, the colt was still priced up at 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas and O’Brien intended to confirm both two-year-olds at the latest declaration stage on Tuesday.
O’Brien told the Press Association on Tuesday morning that both Gstaad and Albert Einstein had been scratched as the result of “a computer error”, adding: “we’re trying to get them back in”.The trainer expanded on his explanation in a comment to the Racing Post, saying: “There was a blip on the computer.Something happened, the computer went bananas and took out a couple of horses that weren’t meant to be taken out.“The people here in the office were trying to take the horses out of the Dante, but the Guineas flashed up instead and the button was pressed.They were pressing for the Dante, but as they were pressing, the Guineas flashed up.
”In the initial aftermath of the declaration stage on Tuesday, Bow Echo and Publish, first and second respectively in the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock Park in September, moved to the head of the market as 4-1 joint-favourites, from odds of around 6-1 overnight.Andrew Balding’s Gewan, who beat Gstaad by three-quarters of a length in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October, also shortened in the betting, from 10-1 to around 6-1.Several bookmakers, including Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Coral, subsequently re-introduced Gstaad and Albert Einstein to the Classic betting, following a statement from O’Brien that “we will supplement them come the time if that’s what the lads [the colts’ owners in the Coolmore Stud Syndicate] decide to do”.Wincanton 2.20 Grand Vendetta 2.
50 Matthias 3.20 Loup De Maulde 3.50 Walkinthepresent 4.20 Kingcormac 4.50 Walk In The West 5.
20 Posh ChickSouthwell 2,30 Queens Wish 3,00 Intenzo 3,30 Frost Moon 4,00 Road To Wembley 4.
30 Jubilant 5.02 Princesse MilaniaSedgefield 2.40 Diamond Jim 3.10 Mountain Mike 3.40 Dixie Cowboy 4.
10 Bright Legend 4.40 Knacker Trapper 5.10 Connells CrossKempton 5.30 Light Dreamer 6.00 Nordic Norm 6.
30 Balzac 7.00 Lion Of Mali (nap) 7.30 Moment Of Light (nb) 8.00 Jungle Knight 8.30 Em FourPaddy Power, however, again removed both colts from their list half an hour later “subject to further clarification from the racing authorities”, since the BHA’s rules on scratchings state that once a scratching notice has been issued,Soon afterwards, however, the BHA confirmed that it would accept supplementary entries for Gstaad and Albert Einstein both reintroduced later at around 6-1 and around 20-1 respectively.
Nigel Farage to snub US conservative conference brought to UK by Liz Truss
Nigel Farage will snub a major conference of US conservatives that is being brought to the UK by Liz Truss.The short-lived former prime minister, who was accused of crashing the economy, was chosen by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to lead a version of the event in the UK in July.She announced this on stage in Texas on Monday while next to Matt Schlapp, commentator and chair of the event, which in the US has hosted major figures including Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Tulsi Gabbard and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.However, mainstream conservative figures in the UK seem wary to be associated with the Truss-led event.“We will be steering well clear of it,” a Reform UK source said, dashing any hopes that Farage would attend
Zack Polanski meets unions in attempt to get them to switch party funding to Greens
Zack Polanski has kicked off a charm offensive designed to convince trade unions to stop funding Labour and throw their weight behind the Green party, as he delivered the first in a series of speeches to union conferences.The Green leader has had “good conversations” with 10 trade unions, including some affiliated to Labour, according to party sources, and is due to address the University and College Union and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, not affiliated with Labour, in the coming months.The UK’s largest unions – Unite and Unison – were among those that denied negotiating with Polanski and said they remained affiliated to the Labour party. However, Unite is holding internal discussions about its future relationship with Labour before a special conference in 2027 at which it could potentially decide to disaffiliate.While Green party sources admitted that discussions Polanski had held with individual unions varied in formality, some union insiders were adamant that supporting the Greens would be a no-go area, and that such discussions were “much ado about nothing”
Kemi the attention seeker somehow always makes two plus two equal five | John Crace
Losing sleep over the war in Iran? Worried sick about the cost of living? Can’t pay your energy bills? Then relax. Because Kemi Badenoch has a displacement activity for you.It’s becoming increasingly easy to understand the Conservative leader by viewing her as a hyperactive five-year-old at the back of the class who is constantly disruptive. Who can’t get through a lesson without some kind of attention-seeking behaviour. Who has a constant desire to be indulged even though her first reactions are invariably wrong
Zack Polanski tells NEU teachers’ union that Greens would abolish ‘toxic’ Ofsted – as it happened
The Green party would abolish Ofsted because they view it as a “failed institution”, Zack Polanski, its leader, has told a teaching union conference.Polanski also said that the Greens were opposed to the academisation of schools and that they believe that Labour is not fixing the “failings” in the system by the Tories, but embedding them.In a speech to the National Education Union’s annual conference, Polanski said:double quotation markOfsted is a toxic, failed institution which is harming teachers and children – and it’s time to end it.Talking about school structures more generally, he said:double quotation markThis government’s reforms are simply tinkering around the edges.We need to end the Ofsted era entirely and move towards a genuinely collaborative model
Starmer pledges to tackle new cost of living crisis at May elections campaign launch
The 7 May elections are taking place against a backdrop of “war on two fronts”, Keir Starmer has said, as he pledged action to tackle the resurgent cost of living crisis.Launching Labour’s English local elections campaign in Wolverhampton on Monday, the prime minister said: “We’re facing a war on two fronts – the Ukraine war, now four and a bit years in … and now the Iran war, which I know is causing huge concern.“People look at their screens and they’re worried when they see explosions, infrastructure blown up, the rhetoric that goes with it, worried about whether this is going to escalate even further.”Labour is braced for heavy losses in English council votes on 7 May, in particular in the north-east and London, amid challenges from Reform UK on the right and the Green party on the left. The contests are seen as a major test for Starmer’s premiership
MPs wary of move against Starmer while war is raging
A week after Labour’s election victory in July 2024, officials at Labour HQ held their first crisis meeting about the May 2026 local elections.The party had just secured a 174-seat majority and already strategists were predicting it would be very tough, though none were assuming the prime minister’s own position would be vulnerable.Now, according to multiple officials, it will be nothing short of a “bloodbath” – though it is an open question whether the parliamentary Labour party will use it to depose Keir Starmer.One Starmer ally said it would be impossible to spin the results. “There’s no point us doing expectation management, as the results are going to be terrible anyway,” they said
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