Andy Newton
Aidan O’Brien and George Boughey have both left the Sussex Stakes door open after Gstaad pushed unbeaten Bow Echo to a short-head finish at Royal Ascot.
Gstaad and Bow Echo Rematch Points To Sussex Stakes clash
The St James’s Palace Stakes has already had its result and its stewards’ story. Now it has a next-race thread.
Aidan O’Brien has indicated Gstaad could meet Bow Echo again in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood after the Ballydoyle colt closed the gap on George Boughey’s unbeaten 2,000 Guineas winner in Tuesday’s Royal Ascot Group 1.
Before the race is was reported that O’Brien was “looking forward” to Gstaad after he was beaten only a short head, having finished two and three-quarter lengths behind Bow Echo at Newmarket.
Echo’s plan A is Goodwood, with Boughey saying it would be “all systems go” for the Sussex Stakes if the colt comes out of Ascot well.
Asked about the prospect of a third match-up with Bow Echo at Goodwood, O’Brien added:
“That’s maybe what we will do, we always thought he was a horse who was going to get further if we ever need to step up, but he does get a mile well obviously.”
“He gets the mile very well and we are looking forward to him. We knew he was coming forward all the time and it just was a little bit rough for him early and Ryan was back a little bit further than he wanted to be,” Aidan O’Brien said.
“But as you saw going to the line he was closing and closing. We are over the moon with him.”
Gstaad Narrows The Gap
Having been 2 3/4 lengths adrift of Bow Echo in the English 2000 Guineas. Gstaad closed the gap at Royal Ascot – getting within a shorthead of Bow Echo.
But the layers are still making Bow Echo the 2/1 favorite for the Sussex Stakes, with Gstaad around 4/1, as the pair look to play out their trilogy of clashes at the end of July at Glorious Goodwood.
“It was a very tactical race and not my finest ride, but he got me out of trouble,” Loughnane said after registering his own landmark on the 5-6 favourite. “It was a little bit muddling and didn’t work out how I imagined, but he’s got sheer guts and showed how good he is today.” Said Boughey after Bow Echo’s St James’s Palace Stakes win
St James’s Palace Stakes Result
🥇BOW ECHO (5/6)
🥈Gstaad (2/1)
🥉Talk Of New York (11/2)
Bow Echo Royal Ascot Win Can Be Upgraded After Stewards Issue Bans For Ballydoyle Riders
After the race, Bow Echo’s St James’s Palace Royal Ascot win was made to look even better.
As the stewards issued bans for both Christophe Soumillon (Puerto Rico) and Ryan Moore (Gstaad).
With Soumillon handed an 8-day ban as stewards deemed he’d assisted Gstaad.
While Moore got a 3-day ban failing to take corrective action with winner Bow Echo and Talk Of New York when leaving the gates.
Bow Echo Keeps Goodwood As plan A
Bow Echo remains the horse the rest have to reach.
He is unbeaten, has now won the 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes, and showed at Ascot that he could survive a less-than-perfect passage.
After the win, trainer George Boughey’s view stated that was the first time Bow Echo had been in a real battle, and that the experience could bring him forward.
That matters for Goodwood.
If both colts take up the Sussex Stakes option, Bow Echo will arrive with a head-to-head score at 2-0 with Gstaad.
When Is The Sussex Stakes?
The 2026 Sussex Stakes is on Wednesday 29th July 2026, with the race scheduled to be shown on ITV Racing.
Sussex Stakes Betting Odds 2025
- Bow Echo 2/1
- Gstaad 4/1
- Opera Ballo 5/1
- More Thunder 10/1
- Precise 12/1
- Notable Speech 14/1
- Talk Of New York 14/1
- Ten Bob Tony 20/1
- True Love 20/1
- 25/1 bar
Note: Odds are subject to change and finally runners will be out on Monday 28th July.
