Royal Ascot next for Guineas hero Echo

George Boughey will keep his star colt Bow Echo fresh for Royal Ascot and bypass the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Unbeaten in four races, the son of Night Of Thunder blitzed his rivals in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, winning by the best part of three lengths.

Instead of bidding for a Guineas double, though, it will be the St James’s Palace Stakes next.

“He’s come out of the race in very good shape. He’s just a straightforward, high-class horse,” said Boughey.

“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.

“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.”

Regarding his colt’s suitability for Ascot he said: “I think the track will suit him really well.

“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.

“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.”