Royal Ascot 2026 results: Bow Echo edges to victory in St James’s Palace Stakes

Bo Eco remains unbeaten after holding off Gstaad to win a grandstand finish in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

5-6 favorites in Gstaad 2,000 guineas last month And 20-year-old jockey Billy Loughnane made sure he repeated the feat by a short head.

The three-year-old colt regrouped after a rough start to the one-mile race before being out of trouble on the outside of Loughnan.

Ryan Moore led Gstaad to the inside and was rewarded when his Aidan O’Brien stablemate Puerto Rico went off the rail.

And although Gstaad closed with every move over the final 100 yards, Bo Eco had enough to take the victory in a photo finish.

“It’s a tight margin in this game and luckily he was on the right side of it today,” trainer George Bogue said.

“I was feeling pretty good from a furlong on, but then Ryan started to come back. I thought Aidan always said his horse would get such a big credit for finishing runner-up because he was brave today.”

Boghi said it was now “all systems go for Goodwood” while Loughnane added: “This horse is such a superstar.

“It’s a great day and a Group One winner at Royal Ascot, it doesn’t really get much better. We just showed what a real fighter this horse is.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Mission Central won the King Charles III Stakes while Ten Bob Tony pulled off a shock victory in the Queen Anne Stakes.