George Boughey reveals exciting targets for star two-year-olds

George Boughey is giving serious consideration to supplementing Bow Echo for the Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket later this month.

Most impressive on his Newbury debut, the Night Of Thunder colt was heavily-supported at odds on to follow up at Listed level in the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock and displayed a willing attitude to see off the highly-regarded Publish in a driving finish.

Boughey initially suggested he could put his Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned youngster away ahead of a tilt at next year’s 2000 Guineas, but is now leaning towards giving him another run, this time in Group Two company over the Rowley Mile.

“We could supplement him for the Royal Lodge,” the Newmarket handler said at Doncaster on Thursday.

“I thought he was very impressive with his attitude the other day and I was in two minds whether to keep going with him this year or put him away, but just looking towards next year and a Guineas preparation, it’s quite hard to trial a horse that’s won twice over a mile.

“I’ve had a long chat with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and he was happy to supplement for Newmarket and give him a trial on the track and if we were to do that and everything went well, he’d go straight to the Guineas.”

Another Boughey-trained juvenile with big-race ambitions this autumn is Hilitany, who defied a penalty in some style when making it back-to-back wins at Windsor on Monday.

The Group Two Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury was mooted as a potential target, but he is instead set for an immediate step up to Group One level.

The trainer added: “He’s very likely to go straight to the Middle Park, I think. I don’t think he’ll mind a bit of ease in the ground and I think the extra week is key – it’s only nine days from today until the Mill Reef, whereas the Middle Park gives us 16 days.

“He’s a pretty exciting horse, I think.”