Bow Echo passes the 'eye test' - but he's not yet at the standard required for a Guineas horse

At points this season it has been difficult to be optimistic about this crop of juveniles. The Racing Post Ratings of winners in Group races are consistently below previous standards, and only a small number of horses have been visually impressive. 

One who already fell into that category was the George Boughey-trained Bow Echo. His two outings before the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket had sparked plenty of interest around his chances for next year’s 2,000 Guineas. He was all the rage in the market going into Saturday's Group 2 and came out a comfortable winner, the performance earning him quotes of 10-1 for the Classic.

He was allotted an RPR of 111 for the victory, which is precisely the average for a winner of the Royal Lodge since 2016. He is likely to improve on that and get further in time.