The QIPCO 1000 Guineas boasts a similarly cosmopolitan entry, with 17 hopefuls hailing from Ireland, eight from France and one from Spain.
One of the Irish-trained entries is La Collina. Trained by Kevin Prendergast, the Strategic Prince filly successfully took on the colts in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August last year, when she proved a neck too strong for Power.
According to her trainer, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas is very much on the radar.
Prendergast said: “The QIPCO 1000 Guineas is the prime option for La Collina at the moment. We have always liked her and always thought she was quite smart.
“She beat the colt in the Phoenix Stakes (Power) that probably should have won the Dewhurst, and although she was a big price that day we did not pay much attention to that - we thought she would be hard to beat.
“She had a fillies' problem after the Moyglare Stud Stakes that we did not pick up before the race, and that is why she ran a bit disappointing, but we won't worry about that too much. She had got a lot closer to Maybe in the Silver Flash Stakes earlier in the season. However, I am not confident we will reverse the form, but we will certainly be there fighting it out.
“She has done very well over the winter and the ground will dictate whether or not she runs in a trial because I would not want to run her on heavy ground. She will have done enough work by the time the QIPCO 1000 Guineas comes around. She is not the biggest filly so she won't be too hard to get ready.
“I do not think the mile will be a problem to her, she won over seven furlongs on her first start.”
As with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Aidan O'Brien is the trainer with the most entries to choose from, accounting for 10 of the 70 hopefuls at this stage, headed by the unbeaten antepost favourite Maybe. A five-time winner, Maybe ended her first season by taking the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in August.
The Maktoum family's Godolphin operation landed last year's QIPCO 1000 Guineas with Blue Bunting and its seven entries this year, who are all trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, include the unbeaten duo of Discourse and Lyric Of Light. Discourse's two victories both came on Newmarket's July Course and included the Group Three german-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes, while Lyric Of Light's three successes culminated with a victory over the course and distance in the Group One Shadwell Fillies' Mile on September 23. Another Godolphin entry is last year's Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes heroine Gamilati, who already has a Guineas victory to her name, having taken the UAE version in great style at Meydan last month.
Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, whose company QIPCO sponsors the race, has a strong contender in last year's Group One Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl, while Elusive Kate, winner of the Group One Marcel Boussac Stakes at Longchamp, could represent John Gosden.
French handler Criquette Head-Maarek, successful four times in the 1000 Guineas, has two entries in the Khalid Abdulla-owned duo of Postale and Preferential. Mauricio Delcher Sanchez supplies the Spanish-trained entry, Irish Cliff.
Newmarket Racecourses' Director of Racing, Michael Prosser, said: "We are delighted with the undoubted calibre and international nature of the respective entries for the QIPCO 2000 and 1000 Guineas.
“The two prestigious races not only invariably produce top-class winners, but also possess great depth in terms of quality. The QIPCO-sponsored Guineas always set up the forthcoming season - and set an exceptional standard in their own right."
