Gstaad ruled out of next potential Bow Echo rematch - but Aidan O'Brien is still targeting a French Group 1

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Bow Echo won't have his great rival Gstaad to worry about if putting his unbeaten record on the line in next Sunday's Prix Jacques le Marois as Aidan O'Brien has ruled the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner out of that potential showdown due to a nasty cut. 

That injury was picked up in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, where he was collared close home by Bow Echo, and a stronger dose of treatment has been required to cure the infection. 

Gstaad has been beaten three times by Bow Echo this season. The first defeat came in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but the last two clashes have been much closer as he got within a short head of him in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and half a length at Goodwood, where he got first run and traded at a low of 1-5 in-running on Betfair. 

When asked whether Gstaad was on course for the Group 1 at Deauville next Sunday, O'Brien replied: "No, he won't go. He got galloped into at Goodwood and got a little bit of an infection in his hind leg. 

"The antibiotics we put him on would usually mean that you can run him within seven days, but the cut was so deep that they had to put him on extra-strong antibiotics so it will take 14 days to get out of his system, so it will be the Moulin for him now. That's probably where he will go next."

Given there was only half a length between Bow Echo and Gstaad at the line in the Sussex Stakes, how much might the cut have affected him during the Goodwood humdinger?

"It obviously hurt him, because it was deep," O'Brien replied. "He got two proper gashes in his hind leg, that's why he had to go on the extra-strong antibiotic."

Speaking to the Racing Post at Deauville, George Boughey said Bow Echo will work on Tuesday and no decision on his participation in the Marois will be made before then.

Read more:

Who is better - Sun Goddess or Victorious? Aidan O'Brien ponders his two star juvenile fillies after Phoenix Stakes success number 18 

'It got tight but it's a wonderful victory' - Graffard hails super Samangan as Division just misses out in Prix Maurice de Gheest 

Fallen star Il Est Francais moves to Dan Skelton in bid to recapture his spark 

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