Before racing at Brighton on Sunday, Billy Loughnane reflected on a good week's work at Royal Ascot with Matt Chapman asking the questions on Sky Sports Racing.
Bow Echo
First, St James's Palace Stakes
I really loved his fight, his guts, his determination. His will to win was like no other horse I've ever ridden. I had a glimpse of it at Haydock on his second start but he really had to be tough on Tuesday and that really confirmed it for me. A lot of things didn't go right for him in the St James's Palace as we know but in the Sussex he's got to take on the older horses as well which is something he hasn't done yet but definitely looking forward to the challenge. A stiff mile is as far as he wants to go but he didn't have a great run round on Tuesday, wide passage, a rough race, so it's not out of the question [he could try something different like the Juddmonte International for example].
Libertango
I was really looking forward to her and thought, behind Bow Echo, she was one of my best rides of the week; I'd been saying that all week going into it. Her work had been very good, she impressed me at Leicester, then when the draws came out and how the first couple of days had played out, I was really worried but thankfully we all congregated across there, she relaxed early and showed a really good turn of foot. She's obviously bred to be very fast and she is a very fast filly but one thing she does do is she relaxes early in her races which does give her a chance, hopefully, to stay a little bit further.
Opera Ballo
There was a headwind on Tuesday and it was always going to be hard for him, I felt walking the course, to use his customary tactics into a headwind over a stiff mile. I think getting him back round a bend, he's a very, very talented horse and a proper Group 1 performer.
King Of Cloughan
I've been very lucky to pick up some nice rides for Joseph [O'Brien] and King Of Cloughan was very good. He had a very economical run, he relaxed super and my one instruction was not to hit the front too soon and he showed a powerful turn of foot to go and put the race to bed.
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