Trainer George Boughey was pleased with 2000 Guineas favourite Bow Echo after a racecourse gallop on Tuesday. He galloped on the Rowley Mile before racing got underway at the Craven meeting.
Bow Echo is unbeaten in three appearances so far. All of his races have been over the 2000 Guineas distance of 1m. he begun with a maiden success at Newbury and backed up that warm impression with a victory in Haydock’s Listed Ascendant Stakes, then stepped up to Group 2 company to claim the Royal Lodge Stakes.
That latest victory came over the course and distance of the opening Classic. It augured well for a 2000 Guineas tilt at the beginning of the season. Despite his breeding pointing towards 1m as his ideal distance, the way he saw out his races as a juvenile may give Boughey options for middle distances later in the campaign.
For now, the Guineas is the only target and his preparations went smoothly on Tuesday morning.
“It was pretty routine stuff, but I was thrilled with it” – Boughey
Boughey won the 1000 Guineas in 2022 with Cachet, so knows the feeling of landing a Classic at Newmarket. For a local trainer like him, the two races are as prized as any.
Having the favourite for the colts’ Classic brings its own type of pressure. For now, Boughey is delighted that the warm-ups have been completed successfully.
Speaking to the Sporting Life, Boughey said: “I was very happy and we were only asking him to do what he did at the end of last year going into the Royal Lodge and Billy was delighted. We haven’t had a horse with a turn of foot that he does yet. It was pretty routine stuff, but I was thrilled with it.
“He has been to Kempton Park as well and he has been ready for a few weeks. It has afforded us the luxury of being able to fill him up and mature.
“We took the sheet of them and Billy said he is doing well. He is changing and furnishing and going the right way. He probably didn’t need to come today, but to just tick all the boxes we wanted to make sure he was in A1 condition.
“His best piece of work ever was on the Rowley Mile before the Royal Lodge. I would be amazed if it wasn’t better again this time. He has got balance, he has got a turn of foot and he stays the mile so he is the full package really.”