Royal Ascot: Bow Echo and Billy Loughnane beat Gstaad in St James’s Palace Stakes thriller on day one | Racing news

Bo Echo confirmed form with Gstaad narrowly in the grandstand finish in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The 5/6 favorite wowed the crowd in the 2000 Guineas, enduring a rough start to the race coming out of Billy Loughnane’s mount Stall, but soon returned to an even pace for his young jockey.

When it came to the business end Loughnane struggled on the outside while Ryan Moore took a bold approach on the inside, which paid off when his stablemate Puerto Rico went off the rail.

Bo Echo cleared quickly, but was running on fumes in the last 100 yards as Newmarket runner-up Gstaad closed with every stride and needed a photo to decide whether the market leader won by a short head to stay unbeaten.

A relieved Baghi said: “It’s a fine margin in this game and luckily he was on the right side of it today.

“I was feeling pretty good a distance out, but then Ryan started to come back. I thought Aidan (O’Brien) always said his horse would get such a big credit for being runner-up because he was brave today.

“I thought Billy gave him a nice ride, we wanted to be one over the fence. He’s a superstar and luckily he got it done.”

Ten Bob Tony makes a huge splash at the Queen Anne Stakes

In a true “David and Goliath” story, Ten Bob Tony delivered an almighty blow in the Queen Anne Stakes, as the outsider rose late to enter the opening race of Royal Ascot 2026.

Sent off at 50/1, Ed Walker’s five-year-old – who runs in the colors of Simon Sadler, who owns Blackpool Football Club – was making his third run over a mile – the last in May 2024 – but remains firmly under Kieran Showmark.

Opera Ballow set a very tight fraction under Billy Loughnane and was still in front entering the final furlong until More Thunder emerged to challenge, before Ten Bob Tony won by half a length from the back of the pack.

Remarkable Speech, so impressive in the Locking Stakes, never threatened to be bumped as the 9-4 favourite.

Previously viewed as a seven-furlong specialist, Walker’s Charge won that trip at Epsom on Derby day.

Walker said: “I’ve already lost my voice, it’s the first day! I can’t say it was expected. We paid to enter the race and he came out of Epsom really well, Simon Sadler is such a sportsman.

“Of course he owns his club, he likes sports, he likes to travel. He likes the story of David and Goliath.

“We came here last year with Do or Do Not, who I wanted to run at Carlisle, and he insisted he came here and went to Coventry and we finished second.

“We took an odds-on shot in France last year in a Group Two and we beat him. He’s so fired up to go and when the horse was after Epsom, we knew we had to.”

Mission accomplished for O’Brien and Moore

Mission Central Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore won an international battle of the speedsters in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot to give them a full set of Group Ones.

When the field reached its final stage it looked like Australia were going to get the prize, with Overpass and 2024 Asfura leading the charge to the line.

But the three-year-old Ballydoyle gelding, a 14/1 shot, leaped quickly and late on the stand-side rail to deny French raider Ryevka by a head. O’Brien held on to finish third on the podium, three-quarters of a length away, as O’Brien approached a career century of winners at the Royal Meeting.

O’Brien, saddled with his 98th winner at the meeting, said: “There’s a big team behind this horse and I’m delighted for them. Ryan gave him a lovely ride and he’s obviously very quick.

“They’ve been tough which suits him. He’s very far ahead in all his races because they don’t go very fast and he has a lot of speed.

“Ryan gave him a great ride, he obviously knew they were going to be really tough and he really inspired him inside the last furlong, unbelievable. I’m delighted for everyone.

“He is a very fast horse. He is a horse that could be suitable for Everest at the end of the year.”

The same pair were successful in the Coventry Stakes Great Barrier Reef Maintained his unbeaten run.

Jan Ki Tukri set the early pace as the race began to take shape by the O’Brien-trained Confucius (2-1 favourite).

But Wayne Lordan Great Barrier Reef (6-1) was prominent throughout and showed plenty of courage to come down the middle of the track to take it up a furlong, keeping his head in front and coming home half a length clear of Scarlett.

The two wins take O’Brien to 98 Royal Ascot winners, with many more fancy runners to come this week.

Kizlier Defiantley got the better of stablemate Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes by one-two.

Lavender Hill Mob settled into the field at a steady pace for two and a half miles, before Defiantly (25-1) mounted a challenge first and took it two furlongs from home.

But Kieslear – also a 25-1 chance – didn’t let it get to him and left the chase going into the final furlong, winning by a head to give Joy Sheridan a first-time Royal Ascot winner.

star map Shows a sharp turn of foot and advertises the truly international nature of the meeting in the Wolferton Stakes.

Owned by Qatar-based Wathnan Racing, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and trained by Australia-based New Zealander James McDonald, he returns to some of his best.

Second in two Group Ones last season, first-time Chickpeas brought him back to life and he won by half a length at 13-2 at Wimbledon Hockey.

And, Alan King found himself victorious Daiquiri BayUnder Rosa Ryan, The first day ended with Gamrai winning the Copper Horse Stakes.