How to solve a problem like Bow Echo? Aidan O'Brien and Charlie Appleby among those out to stop St James's Palace hotpot

Aidan O'Brien has saddled some outstanding milers, including Giant's Causeway, Rock Of Gibraltar and Gleneagles, to land the St James's Palace, and Gstaad would likely rank up there with them if he can turn around the 2,000 Guineas form with Bow Echo.

The Starspangledbanner colt bolted up in the Coventry last year and after three near misses finally secured his first top-level success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November.

He produced a big performance on his return this year to finish two and three-quarter lengths behind Bow Echo at Newmarket, and given the improvement Ballydoyle's Classic crop tend to enjoy after their first run of the season, it's far from fanciful to think he can get a lot closer this time.

Auguste Rodin, City Of Troy and Lake Victoria are among recent examples of top-class three-year-olds who progressed hugely after running well below their best at Newmarket on their first run of the season. 

While it's not directly comparable given Gstaad put up a career-best behind George Boughey's exciting colt, it's an indication of how much Ballydoyle's three-year-olds can improve run to run, particularly in the early stages of the campaign.

He didn't need to progress much to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas last time, where he wasn't pushed to improve as he won in commanding style by three lengths from Distant Storm. But with those two runs under his belt, he's set to be at fever pitch.

Christophe Soumillon will be back aboard Puerto Rico for Aidan O'Brien Credit: Edward Whitaker

Puerto Rico was high-class last season, improving consistently throughout the campaign and nearly bettering his previous Racing Post Rating in all his eight starts. He's likely to improve from his fourth-placed run in the French Guineas and can't be discounted.

"We're really looking forward to them all meeting again," said O'Brien. "We're happy with Gstaad since the Curragh and everything has gone well, the same with Puerto Rico since he ran in France. Gstaad has a big, long stride and it takes a while for him to fully unleash. We were very happy with him at the Curragh. 

"Puerto Rico has had a bit longer between his races but also seems in good form. The original plan was to go to the 2,000 Guineas, then we changed that plan and waited a week for France.  It might just have been that the extra week took the edge off him a bit. But he's come forward nicely since that run."

‘We have a lot of confidence in Talk Of New York’

Disregarding the Covid-affected 2020 season, in the last 11 runnings of the St James’s Palace all but two winners had finished first or second in either the Newmarket or Curragh version of the Guineas.

The exceptions were Circus Maximus, who had run in the Derby, and Without Parole, who made the step up from winning the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown, the same contest that Talk Of New York took when oozing promise last month. 

Talk Of New York and William Buick have struck at Newmarket and Sandown this seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Godolphin’s Wootton Bassett colt earned a Racing Post Rating of 116 for his five and a half length defeat of Time To Turn at Sandown, and while that leaves him 11lb shy of the figure posted by Bow Echo in the 2,000 Guineas, trainer Charlie Appleby does not view the race as mission impossible.

He said: “I was impressed with Talk Of New York at Sandown and he has trained very well since. This has the makings of a great race with the two Guineas winners, while we go in with untapped potential at this level. 

“We'll see if Talk Of New York can rise to the occasion, but we have a lot of confidence in the horse and are looking forward to it.” 

Appleby’s 16 Royal Ascot winners include a single success in the St James’s Palace, with Coroebus in 2022.

Pair of outsiders include versatile Group 1 winner 

The field of six is rounded out by Lord Britain and Power Blue, who won the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over 6f at the Curragh last August, when downing the 1-4 favourite and future 1,000 Guineas winner True Love.

Power Blue gets the better of True Love in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the CurraghCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

That proved to be the last of six starts as a juvenile and Amo Racing's son of Space Blues has yet to properly build on that effort in three appearances this term, finishing around the same distance behind Gstaad in the Irish 2,000 Guineas as when the pair were first and second in the Marble Hill Stakes. 

Trainer Robson Aguiar said: "I think he's going to run well. He's in good form but it's not easy running against Bow Echo and Gstaad. I think he goes well over various trips, including a mile."

Lord Britain finished down the field in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, before winning a Class 4 handicap at Kempton by half a length under the 5lb claim of Mason Paetel. He represents the Newmarket training partnership of Ismael Mohammed and Jose Santos.
Reporting by Denis Harney, Conor Fennelly and Scott Burton

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