The 20-year-old was compared to Spain's World Cup winner after passing the sternest examination of his big race credentials in the £1.5 million Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood17:04, 29 Jul 2026Updated 17:14, 29 Jul 2026Billy Loughnane was dubbed ‘racing’s Lamine Yamal’ after Bow Echo emulated the legendary Frankel at Goodwood on Wednesday.The £1.5 million Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes is Britain’s top mile race, the first contest in which the top three-year-olds take on the best older milers.The George Boughey-trained Bow Echo came to Goodwood with unbeaten record having landed the 2,000 Guineas in May and St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, both times beating Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gstaad. Just a short head had separated the pair at Ascot and the pair’s third clash threatened to be equally close.It was never going to be as straightforward as Bow Echo’s 10-11 odds might have suggested with O’Brien running three horses in the 12 runner race.Ryan Moore on Gstaad, whose stablemate Puerto Rico was outside him, had Loughnane in a pocket with two furlongs to run, leaving the favourite having to wait for his run.For a moment it looked like Moore had stolen the race as he was able to get first run on his opponent to hit the front half a furlong out, but Loughnane angled his horse to the outside and Bow Echo ran down Gstaad to score by half a length, triggering wild celebrations.Bow Echo became the first horse since Frankel in 2011 to complete the 2,000 Guineas-St James’s Palace-Sussex hat-trick.Top jockey turned trainer Johnny Murtagh pulled off the same hat-trick on Henrythenavigator when he was stable jockey to Aidan O’Brien.Working as a pundit for ITV, he said: “Last week at the World Cup you had Lamine Yamal. Everyone was raving about him, 19, what he’s doing.“This is racing’s Lamine Yamal. He’s a special talent, he’s 20. The more big races he rides and wins like this, the more confident he’ll get.“He’s got that little bit of confidence-cheeky about him, but he has to back it up and today, Bow Echo and himself did.”Bow Echo’s programme could take him to France next for the Prix Jacques Le Marois or Prix du Moulin with the Breeders’ Cup Mile on the cards at the end of the year.Loughnane said: “What a superstar horse. I say it every time I know how lucky I am to be able to ride a horse like this. I just feel so privileged.Content cannot be displayed without consent“They made life difficult for him but I always wanted to follow Ryan. I knew the pace would be on with the set up of the race. That plays into this horse’s strengths.“I was boxed in between Ryan and Christophe, and I just had to wait to get out but once I did he just proved how good he is.Article continues below“Me and George watched plenty of Sussexes back and they always get on top of them late and get going early. It just keeps getting better.”