Next year’s 2000 Guineas is the ultimate target for Bow Echo after George Boughey’s exciting juvenile lived up to his tall reputation with victory in the Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes at Haydock.

Having been rerouted from last weekend’s Solario Stakes at Sandown, John and Thady Gosden’s Publish was the early favourite for this one-mile Listed contest, but sustained support for Bow Echo – a dominant winner on his Newbury debut three weeks ago – saw him go off the 5-6 market leader.

Odds-on backers will have been smiling when the Night Of Thunder colt cruised to the lead in the hands of Billy Loughnane heading inside the final two furlongs and while Publish looked set to pick him up late in the day, Bow Echo found more once challenged and was a length in front at the line.

Boughey did not make the trip to Merseyside, but was delighted with what he saw.

“He’s a lovely horse who has shown plenty of ability at home, but he’s possibly still quite raw,” said the Newmarket handler.

“He probably didn’t learn too much on his debut at Newbury and he’s only had once piece of work since.

“Billy was of the opinion that he really wanted something to give him a lead for longer at Newbury and it was similar today. It looked like Publish was coming to win the race, but our horse was waiting for him and outbattled him in the end.

“I’m delighted to make him a Stakes winner for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid [owner] as he’s a homebred from a good family.”

While Publish holds big-race entries in the Royal Lodge and Dewhurst at Newmarket, Bow Echo does not, with Boughey keen to take a patient approach with a horse he views as a legitimate Classic contender.

He added: “I think we’ll just see how he comes out of the race. The reason we didn’t enter him in those races [Royal Lodge and Dewhurst] is because we see him as very much a horse for next year.

“Maybe we could step him up in class again this year, but I’d be quite happy to wait and run him in a Guineas trial next spring.

“He has plenty of pace, he’s a Guineas horse and that’s what we’ll be training him for.”