Bow Echo provides Boughey and Loughnane with 2000 Guineas glory

Newmarket trainer George Boughey watched his superstar colt Bow Echo land the Betfred 2000 Guineas at the Rowley Mile today and admitted: "It means the world." 

A son of 2014 2000 Guineas hero Night Of Thunder and racing in the colours of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Bow Echo (9-2) was settled off the pace before beginning to make rapid headway under jockey Billy Loughnane entering the final two furlongs of the mile Classic.

Taking the lead entering the final furlong, he quickened impressively to come home two and three-quarter lengths of Gstaad. 

Trainer Boughey said: "It's pretty exciting. He's a colt who has always shown us that.

"I felt like we'd almost gone a little bit overboard on what we thought of him before the race but that's what he was showing me. His lead horse might not be a superstar but we've had some Group One horses who haven't gone by him and the fact that he goes eight, 10 lengths past tells us that he's a good one.

"He just exudes confidence. Special mention for the rider. Billy is only 20 and to hold his nerve and to do what he did. But this horse has stood out from the word go. He's a very good horse."

Asked about the huge reception he and Bow Echo received coming back into the winner's enclosure, Boughey said: "It means the world. To do it at home in Newmarket is amazing.

"It's quite emotional. It's very rare that you find a horse that trains like him and to have his pedigree to back it up was really what we needed. The confidence was pretty high but his work suggested that so it was over to Billy (Loughnane, jockey) to execute a beautiful ride and he did that.

"He was fast asleep going to post. Billy has an amazing affinity with the horse and I think he's almost a difficult ride because he's so relaxed. For a horse to not commit in a Guineas when he's fast asleep out there - he was trying to pick his gap and he executed it brilliantly."

On winning with a Guineas favourite, Boughey added: "He's made the job very easy. The guys at home have done a fantastic job. Jordon McMurray rides him every day but I think even Jordan would admit that he's got the most extraordinary brain, this horse.

"He is so unassuming. You wouldn't know he's there and he makes my job very easy."

Asked about the comprehensive nature of the victory and the fact that Bow Echo could be entering the 'superstar bracket', Boughey went on: "I think he has every right to be held in that regard. For his generation he looks a very good horse.

"Gstaad is a Breeders' Cup winner and at the back-end of his two-year-old year I wanted to run him (Bow Echo) in a Dewhurst or a Breeders' Cup but Sheikh Mohammed Obaid was watching today and he'll be telling me 'I was right!' and he was.

"He's matured, he's strengthened and I sent him a video last year of how I wanted to run him in the Dewhurst and he told me 'he's not running because he's a child' and everyone saw that here. He's matured - he was a child against men last year and now he's the top of the pile.

"I think he's a fast horse who stays which is obviously a huge asset. He's not a Derby horse I don't think. He's not in the Derby - he has always shown a huge turn of foot and I want to make him the Champion Miler if we can.

"The Irish Guineas is there, he's obviously in at Ascot and then he ha to take on the older horses. But we'd be looking to try and make him a dual Guineas winner I would say, but he will tell us. He's a very expressive horse."

Asked about his own emotions he said: "I showed a bit of excitement earlier but I've been very calm because he makes me very calm. He's a very easy horse to train and I'm just a lucky person to train him and it wasn't a surprise today.”

On jockey Billy Loughnane, Boughey said: "I sound like a bit of a broken record talking about Billy. He's an outstanding jockey, he's an outstanding human being. He's the consummate professional as well - I think we've walked the track three or four times this week, we had a plan in our heads.

"He's a freak. I think he's destined to be Champion Jockey and to do it at the highest level like that I think he's showcasing his talents and I'm glad that everyone gets to see what we see three or four times a week."

Billy Loughnane said: "I can't put it into words. I wanted to be a jockey ever since the day I could talk. I've put so much work in to get to where I am today and I'm so fortunate to ride a horse like Bow Echo.

"He's an absolute superstar and he's a dream to ride. I planned the race out in a million different directions but it went perfectly today. What a feeling.

"He'd had a perfect preparation going into the race and George is a genius. He's done everything right with this horse and it just shows when he gets a star what he can do with it. Bow Echo - what a superstar!"

Asked about the emotional greeting his parents gave him on the podium, Loughnane added: "I was in tears when I was giving my Dad a hug. They've put so much work into me. Dad taught me how to ride and to be doing this is great.

"I just turned 20 and to do something like that is a dream. A lot of people never get the opportunity to ride a horse like him and I know how fortunate I am. I can't thank the connections enough."

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of the runner-up Gstaad, the 3-1 joint-favourite, said: “I am pleased with him and that was a great run.

“Ryan was very happy today and he has done everything right. It was his first run of the year, and you can see he’s a big horse. It was great to get him started.

“I think there were two lengths between us and the winner (it was actually two and three-quarter lengths) and eight lengths back to the third. We couldn’t be happier really.

“He’s a big, powerful horse and that type of horse can only progress. We used today as a start off and tried to do our best to win on his first start as a three-year-old. We are still delighted with how he has run. 

“We always thought that he could go further, although I don’t know where we would go from here. The Irish Guineas would be the logical step, and I imagine that’s what the lads would be thinking about.

“I’m delighted for George (Boughey). He did a great job with his horse, and I’m delighted for Billy (Loughnane) too.”

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby said of third-placed Distant Storm, the other 3-1 joint-favourite: “He ran a good race and Will (Buick) feels that he will come forward a bit for that as well.

“We were a bit further behind the second Gstaad than we were in the Dewhurst, but Will was pleased and felt that he got a lovely run. 

“Full credit to the winner – he routed them and they were going good honest fractions I felt. 

“There is room for improvement there. The ground has been tight over the past couple of days but everyone had to go on it and I think it was a usual first run of the season, not that you would ideally come into a Guineas needing a run, which he will naturally come forward from.”