DON'T SAY IT AIN'T BOW

Loughnane digs deep on his star miler to win by a short head

- By Melissa Jones

BILLY LOUGHNANE revelled in a “pinch-me moment” as Bow Echo held the late lunge of Gstaad in an absorbing St James’s Palace Stakes.

Billed as one of the ‘bankers’ of the week, the 2,000 Guineas hero was a strong 5-6 favourite as the six runners set about covering a turning mile.

Payouts on the market leader came under threat at several points in the Group One contest — and as early as the first 100 yards when Loughnane reined back from some scrimmaging with the horse he would eventually pip to the post.

The incident lit both gallopers up and the former teenage race-riding prodigy ended up widest of all, as Gstaad cornered past his Aidan O’Brien-trained pacesetting stablemate Puerto Rico.