NEWMARKET, UK — On the kind of morning one dreams about all winter, the wraps came off a clutch of Guineas hopes as George Boughey and Charlie Appleby made good use of the Rowley Mile ahead of the start of the three-day Craven meeting. Boughey, who trains less than a mile from the racecourse in his new base at the appropriately named Craven House Stables, declared himself to be thrilled with the progress of Betfred 2,000 Guineas favourite Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder), who is already familiar with the track having won the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes last September.“We haven't had a horse with a turn of foot like he does yet,” Boughey said after watching Bow Echo and Billy Loughnane work over six furlongs, drawing clear of Brazil Power and Grace McEntee as they hit the rising ground between the last two furlongs. “It was pretty routine stuff but we're thrilled with it.”Boughey added that Bow Echo, who was unbeaten in three starts last year for his late owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, had also had a recent racecourse gallop on the all-weather at Kempton Park.“He's been ready for a few weeks really and it's afforded us the luxury of being able to just fill him up and let him mature,” said the trainer. “He's always been a very straightforward horse but there was a question whether he was big enough last year. He was running against more stamina-laden horses who are fundamentally a bigger breed of animal. For me, he's the perfect size for a race like this and I'm thrilled with how he's done.”The 2,000 Guineas picture changed dramatically in the space of two days last week. First Forz Europe's champion two-year-old Gewan (Night Of Thunder) was fatally injured while undertaking a training gallop at Kempton, and the following day Juddmonte's Publish (Kingman) was ruled out of contention when found to be lame. Boughey continued, “It's desperately sad to see what happened last week to both horses. You can't really imagine what it feels like to get that close and it not happen but we've got to play the cards that we've been dealt and it's just our job to prepare our horse as best we can. I couldn't be much happier with how he's trained.” George Boughey, Liam O'Rourke and Billy Loughnane discuss Bow Echo's gallop | Emma Berry Boughey's major breakthrough as a trainer came four years ago when Cachet (Aclaim) won the 1,000 Guineas for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing at odds of 16/1. “I never dreamt of being in a position that we've got a favourite for the Guineas for an owner like Sheikh Mohammed Obaid,” he said. “When I got the call to train horses for him a few years ago, it was a moment I never thought would happen, so to have a horse of his calibre with his pedigree and his attitude to racing is a huge privilege.“On the data that we've got, his best piece of work ever was on the Rowley Mile before the Royal Lodge and I'd be amazed if it wasn't better again this time. He's got balance, he's got a turn of foot and he stays the mile, so he's the full package really.”Storm Brewing for Godolphin Minutes ahead of Bow Echo's appearance, Charlie Appleby had worked three pairs of Godolphin horses which included 2,000 Guineas fancies Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) and King's Trail (Sea The Stars) as well as the once-raced filly Abashiri (Frankel), who has 1,000 Guineas and Oaks entries. William Buick was aboard Distant Storm, who was third behind Gewan in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes having won the G3 Tattersalls Stakes over seven furlongs of the Rowley Mile two weeks prior to that. Distant Storm and William Buick | Emma Berry “He's a very clean-winded horse,” Appleby said. “We are lucky enough to be here in the spring to go straight into a Guineas. He's a better horse running fresh – we've seen that with all of his starts, really. “So the plan was always to come here, give him a nice gallop, but as I said to Will this morning, we don't need to have a searching gallop, because he's fit and we're only two and a half weeks away. I was very pleased with the way he hit the rising ground. He's very professional, relaxed, takes everything well.”He added, “I'm a big believer in the horse that's been there and done it at that level and Distant Storm ticks all those boxes. To come into a Guineas off the back of running well in a Dewhurst is a huge plus.”Distant Storm topped last year's Arqana Breeze-up Sale when bought by Anthony Stroud on Godolphin's behalf for €1.9m from Cormac Farrell, who was at the Rowley Mile on Tuesday morning to see his graduate in action before turning his attention to the Craven Breeze-up. The colt's four runs to date have all come over seven furlongs. “There's no doubt in my mind that the mile will be no problem at all,” said Appleby, who also runs the unbeaten dual all-weather winner Hidden Force (Frankel) in Thursday's G3 Craven Stakes. “Physically, he's done well. He's a breeze-up horse, so it's always a tough year for them as they've been on the go very early, and there he was in [one of] the last race[s] of the season for the two-year-olds. So he deserved a rest and he's done very well for it.” King's Trail and James Doyle | Emma Berry James Doyle was given the leg-up on the less experienced of the two Classic colts, King's Trail, who has won both of his starts at Kempton in December and March. The Sea The Stars colt also holds entries for the Dante Stakes and the Derby.Appleby said, “I was keen to get him on the turf. We've had him on the turf on the Water Hall gallop and I have to say, visually, I was happy with what I saw there. He's picked up well up the hill. It was a pleasing morning, lovely ground.”He continued, “It's an open Guineas, I feel, and I think we've got three potentially worthy contenders. It could stack up to be a very good Craven this year and the winner of that, needless to say, will bounce very much to the forefront of the market. I feel we've got a horse there in Hidden Force who'll be a big player on Thursday.”Appleby's sole 1,000 Guineas entry is the tall and elegant Abashiri, put through her paces by Billy Loughnane who was following a past master down the Rowley Mile in Kieren Fallon, who won the fillies' Classic four times between 1997 and 2005.“She's probably not sharp enough to win her Guineas, but I feel she'll run well in one,” Appleby said. “We all know that the Guineas are as good a trial as you need for an Oaks, and that's what she looks like – she's more of an Oaks filly.” The post ‘He’s The full Package’: Boughey Thrilled as Bow Echo Takes to the Rowley Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.