Loughnane hoping Bow Echo can realise Guineas dream

Loughnane said last year would be "hard to beat" but becoming champion jockey on the flat is the ultimate aim.

"That's been my dream since I've been able to walk and talk, I've always wanted to be a jockey and being able to do it will be something that will mean a lot," he said.

"It's something I definitely want to achieve, whether it's this year, or years to come, I'll be giving it my best shot.

"It's been a whirlwind couple of years. I couldn't have dreamed it going the way it's going but I'm very fortunate to be riding some very nice horses for some very good people."

One of those people is Boughey, who Loughnane has ridden for pretty much since he started out and who he describes as being like a "father figure" and "older brother" to him, especially now as he has moved to be closer to Boughey's yard in Newmarket.

The 34-year-old said he "cherishes" their friendship with the pair regularly texting about Loughnane's progress even they are not racing as a team.

"If I don't have a runner I'm watching him ride, it sounds a bit odd, but he's such a big part of the team that I like to watch and see how he's getting on and make sure he's focused and on the ball," Boughey said.

"He's sometimes been at Wolverhampton one evening, he's texting me in between each race and, 'Oh God, I got that wrong' or 'got that right' sort of thing.

"It's good fun. I feel very relaxed when he rides for me because I think the relationship we have enables him the freedom to ride as he likes.

"He's extraordinarily driven and I think hard work in life is a big part of getting to where he wants to get to. I hope he can be champion jockey whether it be this year or not. He's got the talent and the brain to go right to the top."

'2,000 Guineas is huge for Billy and huge for us'

George Boughey started his training stables in 2019 [BBC]

Victory for Bow Echo would give Boughey his second Classic success after 16-1 shot Cachet won the 1,000 Guineas four years ago.

It would be another high-profile accolade for the Craven House Stables, which started out, in Boughey's words, with "three or four horses" in 2019 to now training for some of the biggest names in the sport, including Bow Echo's late owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

"I'll never forget getting the call to train for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck saying it now," Boughey said.

"We were sent 10 yearlings, which is a huge number of horses for such a big owner, and just to be trusted with a colt with his pedigree is a huge honour."

The 2,000 Guineas is the first leg of the storied Triple Crown series, along with the Derby and St Leger, and Boughey said Bow Echo is ready to rise to the occasion.

"It's a race that everyone's watched forever and our colt has come here in good shape and he'll give himself the best chance," Boughey said.

"We love running horses at Newmarket. Obviously it's local to us and the horses train just out the back, so I've been walking or running the track recently quite a lot.

"That's kind of what I did into the 1,000 Guineas and I think knowing the track yourself is quite interesting, it's not an easy track to ride.

"Billy rides a lot of winners on a day-to-day basis, and he's written a group one winner in Germany but, with no disrespect, you want to be trying to compete in the classics and to have a horse who's [favourite] for an English 2,000 Guineas is huge for Billy, it's huge for both of us."

'A brilliant horseman with all the right attributes'

Billy Loughnane won 63 of his 298 races in the whole of 2025 on his way to claiming the Annual Flat Champion Jockey title [Getty Images]

Loughnane said his relationship with Bow Echo means he could not go into the race with more confidence.

"I rode him every start last year and this year I've sat in him in every bit so I've got a good connection with him and hopefully it's fruitful," he said.

"To be talking about riding in these races is great but then to be able to win one is to be a dream come true."

That is a sentiment unsurprisingly shared by Boughey, who said he could not wish for anyone better to be on board.

"He's a brilliant horseman, a brilliant rider, a brilliant judge of pace and he's got all the attributes you need for the big day," he said.

"I think his composure is a big thing. The planning of everything will enable it to be a hopefully a pretty relaxed day.

"It's a boyhood dream to be able to train horses like this, let alone win races like that.

"I have full faith in Billy, whether he's riding in Wolverhampton or at the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. He needs no introduction now."

Billy Loughnane has won twice at Royal Ascot [PA Media]

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