English Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Bow Echo clung on to victory in the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) June 16 at Royal Ascot, holding off Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Gstaad to maintain his unbeaten record.
Winning jockey Billy Loughnane admitted after the race that Bow Echo won in spite of the ride he gave the horse. Despite being squeezed at the start, posted on the outside around the bend, and potentially in front earlier than he wanted, Bow Echo would not be denied.
In comparison, Ryan Moore used all of his skill and experience to try to snatch the victory aboard Gstaad, who May 2 finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Bow Echo in the Two Thousand Guineas before claiming Ireland's version of that race May 23. Smuggled away on the inside, Moore got Gstaad rolling around the bend and was greeted with a beautiful split with a furlong to go—thanks in part to early leader and stablemate Puerto Rico (see end of story).
Closer and closer Gstaad came to Bow Echo in deep stretch, with Loughnane glancing nervously across to check on his rival. Closer and closer as the line came toward them both, but as the camera flashed it was Bow Echo who was in front. Just.
Loughnane said: "It was a very tactical race. I wouldn't put it down as one of my finest rides and the horse got me out of trouble today.
"He was messy. I didn't want to go to the fence as I didn't want to make it hard and I wanted a smooth run, but I got a horrible passage around the Godolphin horse (Talk of New York). He showed his class. This horse is a superstar and I'm so lucky to be part of a horse like this. It doesn't get better than this."
Trainer George Boughey wore a relieved expression in the winner's enclosure, and said the experience would help Bow Echo reach greater heights through the season.
He said: "It's the first time he's got into a proper battle. I think we'll see a better horse now he's been in that scrap. It's fine margins in this game and luckily he was on the right side of it.
"At Billy's own admission, he committed a bit sooner than he hoped. This is as far as this horse wants to go. It's a dream to be training horses like this and to be trusted with them. Plan A was to win the Guineas and come here and then go to the Sussex."
Raced by the executors of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, homebred Bow Echo secured his fifth win in as many starts. Last year, he captured the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket and the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock Park. The son of Night of Thunder completed Tuesday's mile test around the bend in 1:38.48 on good-to-firm turf.
Bow Echo is the first starter for the winning Invincible Spirit mare Aristocratic Lady, who is out of a half sister to multiple leading sire in France and Ireland Dubawi.
Gstaad, racing for Coolmore-affiliated owners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, has now won or placed in seven grade/group 1 tests in his nine starts to date. That includes a victory in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
Godolphin homebred Talk of New York, an English-bred son of Wootton Bassett, held third in his group 1 debut.
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Jockey suspensions
After the race, an inquiry was held to consider interference shortly after the start involving Gstaad, Bow Echo, Talk of New York, ridden by William Buick, and Power Blue, ridden by David Egan. Moore was suspended for three days for careless riding for allowing his mount to edge left-handed without correction causing Bow Echo, Talk of New York, and Puerto Rico to become short of room for a number of strides when awkwardly placed between Gstaad and Power of Blue on the far outside.
An inquiry also was held to consider whether Christophe Soumillon, the rider of Puerto Rico, rode in a manner to benefit Gstaad, and in doing so caused minimal interference to Power Blue. Soumillon, Moore, and Egan were interviewed and shown recordings of the incident, and Aidan O'Brien, the trainer of Puerto Rico and Gstaad, was interviewed via telephone. Soumillon was suspended for eight days for riding his mount in such a way that intended to give an advantage to another horse from the same stable, in that he moved his mount away from the rail thereby ensuring a clear run for Gstaad on his inside.
BloodHorse editors contributed to this story.
