The rematch between Betfred 2000 Guineas one-two Bow Echo and Gstaad lived up to its billing in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes, with George Boughey’s stable star emerging victorious after a final-furlong showdown.
The unbeaten Bow Echo (5/6F), who had almost three lengths in hand at Newmarket, was made to work harder here as Gstaad (2/1) benefited from a smooth inside trip under Ryan Moore.
Bow Echo moved up strongly out wide of the six runners approaching the final two furlongs, but the Night Of Thunder colt was unable to get away from his main market rival once asked to win his race by Billy Loughnane.
Gstaad rallied doggedly after the duo forged ahead passing the furlong marker, with Bow Echo showing a great attitude to prevail by a short-head. Talk Of New York (11/2) ran a creditable race in third on his first start at this level, almost two lengths further back.
Boughey said: “I think that was the first time Bow Echo got into a proper battle. Obviously, I have only watched it once, but it was quite a scrap early doors. He was almost keen at one point, William’s [Buick] horse came past, and I think we’ll see a better horse now that he’s been in a scrap like that. He has done everything we’ve hoped; it’s fine margins in this game and luckily he was on the right side of it.
“I think Billy said that the Amo horse was starting to come into his lap and he didn’t want to break his stride and, at Billy’s own admission, he might have committed a bit sooner than he’d hoped. This is very much as far as this horse wants to go – I’ve thought that for a while – and I think being able to ride him a little bit colder in a straightforward, evenly run race, hopefully we can see him continue to progress.
“It is a dream to be training horses like this, to be trusted with them, and to do it with Billy makes it even more special. He’s like a younger brother, like a friend; we chat the whole time, and to be able to have that affinity with a jockey is amazing. I’ve been lucky to have a lot of good riders ride for me but he’s an exceptional talent, both on and off the horse. He’s meticulous in his planning and I think it’s showing on the track. To be able to provide him with an unbeaten Guineas winner to come and win at Royal Ascot is as good as it gets.
“Plan A would be to go to Goodwood for the Sussex Stakes. He is taking his racing very well; he was ready to go a couple of weeks ago. He’ll have had a race today, he’ll know that, but it’s very much all systems go for Goodwood.”
Loughnane said: “The first furlong was crucial and I got squeezed out early. There were five of us in a line and I slightly lost my position and Bow Echo got lit up. It was then a case of trying to manage things. The Amo horse came back into our lap and it meant I had to move probably sooner than ideal, but his guts got him through. He’s a very determined horse with a great turn of foot and fantastic ability.
“You kind of have to adapt, and it was a case of getting him back relaxed, breathing again and into his rhythm. Once he found that, he was powerful. I felt a bit of pressure coming here today on an unbeaten Guineas winner, but thankfully we managed to get the job done.
“He travelled very powerfully and has a great turn of foot. Gstaad and Ryan probably had a more economical route than we did, so we wasted a lot of ground, but he’s a very talented horse and was tough towards the business end.
“Obviously there’s pressure riding a horse like him, but it’s pressure you want. I’m very privileged to be in a position to partner him and I can’t wait for the next couple of races to come up. It is a pinch-yourself moment, and I can’t thank George and the owners enough for having faith in me.”
Aidan O’Brien said of Gstaad: “I am delighted. Ryan gave him a great ride. The race was a little bit rough early for him. Ryan ended up a little bit further back than he wanted to be, but the way he went to the line, we are over the moon with him. A furlong down, you would never say he was going to run that close, and every stride to the line he was closing, closing, closing. The line just came a little bit quick. We are delighted that he is coming forward – and are looking forward to him.”
Asked if he is going to stick at a mile, he said: “We will see. He gets the trip very well. We always thought he was a horse who was going to get further. I would say he will if we ever need to step up.”
Charlie Appleby said: “I feel we’ve got a nice horse that is going to progress with his career. He still showed signs of inexperience there. In the paddock he just got a bit warm – that didn’t really concern me, it’s a warm day with a hood on and sometimes that can do that to those horses. It was a bit rough for the first furlong or two and he just ran as though he got a bit frightened in amongst it. We are not too far off them.”
William Buick, rider of Talk Of New York, said: “It was a super run. I am delighted with him. I felt like I had quite a nice trip round – and the front two are two very good horses.”