Bow Echo’s inherent quality shone through for a Royal Ascot victory in the St James’s Palace Stakes (1603m), despite not having an easy run.
This represented a third Group One triumph for jockey Billy Loughnane. Bow Echo ($1.83/5-6) built on his earlier success in the Group 1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Newmarket on May 3, winning by a head after a stern examination from the jockey’s perspective against Aiden O’Brien’s Gstaad ($3/2-1).
BOW ECHO IN AN EPIC 🟡⚫
Horse Racing doesn’t get much better than that! Bow Echo makes it 5 from 5 in an epic battle with Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes👏 pic.twitter.com/zfjDp5orUr
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 16, 2026
“It was a tactical race but, to be honest, I wouldn’t put it down as my finest rides,” Loughnane reported. “The horse definitely got me out of trouble today. It was messy and I didn’t want to go to the fence and make it hard. I wanted to have a smooth run but I had a horrible passage.” He added, “He showed his class.”
Trainer George Boughey, operating from Newmarket, suggested that the colt’s experience in a tougher contest could prove beneficial.
“This is the first time he has been in a battle,” trainer George Boughey stated. “It was quite a scrap early doors. He was almost keen at one point. I think we’ll see a better horse now that he has been in a scrap like that. He’s done everything we hoped and it is by margins in this game. Lucky he was on the right side of it.”
The next engagement for Bow Echo is slated for the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (1609) at Glorious Goodwood on July 29.
“The horse is taking his racing very well and he was ready a couple of weeks ago,” Boughey continued, praising his jockey’s abilities. “At Billy’s own admission he might had committed sooner than he’d hoped but this as very much as far as this horse wants to go and being able to ride him a little bit colder in a more straightforward, evenly run race, hopefully we can see him continue to progress. It is a dream to be trusted with and training horses like this and to be doing it will Billy makes it even more special. He’s like younger brother. I’ve had a lot of good young riders ride for me but he is an exceptional talent.”
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