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

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

The 5/6 favourite having wowed the crowds in the 2000 Guineas, Billy Loughnane’s mount endured a rough start to the race coming out of the stalls, but was soon back on an even keel for his young jockey.

When it came to the business end Loughnane stayed out of trouble on the outside while Ryan Moore took the brave route up the inner, which paid off when his stablemate Puerto Rico drifted off the rail.

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

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

“I was feeling pretty good a furlong out, but then Ryan started coming back. I did sort of think that Aidan (O’Brien) had always said that his horse would get further so huge credit to the runner-up as he was gallant today.

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

Ten Bob Tony causes huge shock in Queen Anne Stakes

In a real “David and Goliath” story, Ten Bob Tony caused an almighty shock in the Queen Anne Stakes, as the outsider of the field got up late to land the opening race of Royal Ascot 2026.

Sent off at 50/1, Ed Walker’s five-year-old – who runs in the colours of Simon Sadler, who owns Blackpool Football Club – was having just his third run over a mile – the last one being in May 2024 – but stayed on strongly under Kieran Shoemark.

Opera Ballo set very stiff fractions under Billy Loughnane and was still in front entering the final furlong until More Thunder emerged to challenge, before Ten Bob Tony came over the top from the back of the pack to win by half a length.

Notable Speech, so impressive in the Lockinge Stakes, never really threatened to land a blow as the 9-4 favourite.

Previously seen as a seven-furlong specialist, Walker’s charge had won over that trip at Epsom on Derby day.

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

“Obviously he owns his club, he loves sport, he loves to have a go. He loves the David and Goliath story.

“We came here last year with Do Or Do Not, who I wanted to run at Carlisle, and he insisted he came here and had a go at the Coventry and we finished second.

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

Mission accomplished for O’Brien & Moore

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

As the field approached the final stages it looked as though Australia was going to land the prize, with Overpass and 2024 Asfoora leading the charge to the line.

But the three-year-old Ballydoyle gelding, a 14/1 shot, swooped fast and late on the stands side rail to deny French raider Rayevka by a head. Overpass held on to make the podium in third place, three-quarters of a length away, as O’Brien moved ever closer to a career century of winners at the Royal meeting.

O’Brien, saddling his 98th winner at this meeting, said: “There’s a big team behind this horse and I’m delighted for them. Ryan gave him a beautiful ride and he is clearly very fast.

“They went hard which suited him. In all his races he’s very forward because they don’t go very fast and he’s got an awful lot of speed.

“Ryan gave him a great ride, he obviously knew they were going really hard and he really motivated him inside the last furlong, incredible. I’m delighted for everyone.

“He’s very quick horse this horse. He’s a horse that could suit The Everest at the end of the year.”

The same duo were successful in the Coventry Stakes as Great Barrier Reef maintained his unbeaten run.

Jaan Ki Tukri set the early pace on the near side, being stalked by the O’Brien-trained Confucius (2-1 favourite) as the race began to take shape.

But Wayne Lordan had Great Barrier Reef (6-1) prominent throughout and came down the centre of the track to take it up with a furlong to go, showing plenty of guts to keep his head in front and come home half a length clear of Adaay Of Scarlett.

The two victories moves O’Brien onto 98 Royal Ascot winners, with many more fancied runners to come this week.

Kizlyar got the better of stablemate Defiantly to lead home a one-two for Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes.

Lavender Hill Mob took field along at a steady pace over the two and a half miles, before Defiantly (25-1) was the first to lay down a challenge and took it up two furlongs from home.

But Kizlyar – also a 25-1 chance – did not let him have it all his own way and went off in pursuit heading into the final furlong, getting up by a head to give Joey Sheridan a first-ever Royal Ascot winner.

Map Of Stars displayed a sharp turn of foot and advertised the true international nature of the meeting in the Wolferton Stakes.

Owned by Qatar-based Wathnan Racing, trained by France by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by a New Zealander based in Australia in James McDonald, he returned to something like his best.

Second in two Group Ones last season, first-time cheekpieces sparked him back to life and he ran down Wimbledon Hawkeye to win by half a length at 13-2.

And, Alan King got himself a winner as Daiquiri Bay, under Rossa Ryan, held off Gamrai to win the Copper Horse Stakes to close day one.