Bow Echo to miss Irish 2000 Guineas and heads to Royal Ascot

“He’s come out of the race in very good shape. He’s just a straightforward, high-class horse,” trainer George Boughey said on Monday. “Ascot is very much the plan. It’s somewhere we’ve always hoped we’d get to with a live chance, and to go there now as a Guineas winner is very exciting.”

Explaining the decision to sidestep the Irish Guineas, he added: “He was trained for the 2000 Guineas and this gives us a nice gap to freshen him up and go again. It makes sense to give him that bit of time.”

Bow Echo is set to remain over a mile for the time being, with his ability to settle and quicken expected to suit the demands of Ascot.

“I think the track will suit him really well,” Boughey said. “He switches off, travels strongly and has a turn of foot. On fast ground, which you tend to get at Ascot, he should be very effective.”

Beyond Ascot, Boughey indicated that a step up against older horses could follow, with the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse under consideration.

“We'll take it one race at a time but Ascot comes next and then we’ll hopefully look towards races like the Sussex Stakes.”

Bow Echo was given a lofty Timeform rating of 131 after his weekend win, making him the best 2000 Guineas winner since Frankel on their figures.

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