Notable Speech wins Lockinge at Newbury

NEWBURY – Notable Speech stamped himself as the leading miler of his generation with a dazzling performance in the £400,000 (S$682,000) Group 1 Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes (1,600m) at Newbury on May 16.

All the rage in the market late on, trainer Charlie Appleby’s former 2000 Guineas hero and Sussex Stakes winner was sent off as the $13 chance in the hands of William Buick, with the pair looking to put a luckless run in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (1,600m) at Keeneland on April 11 behind them.

Despite facing a field stacked with quality and potential, success never really looked in doubt for Notable Speech.

The five-year-old son of Dubawi could be spotted travelling much the best heading down towards the three-furlong marker.

The 2025 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (1,600m) scorer briefly looked like he was short of racing room, but Buick never panicked.

Once out in the clear, Notable Speech displayed a striking turn of foot to hit the front before powering away to a two-length victory from William Haggas’ More Thunder (Tom Marquand). Zeus Olympios (Clifford Lee) finished third.

Appleby was impressed by the 10-time winner and thought the win was good from a breeding prospect.

“He’s got some turn of foot,” said the Godolphin trainer.

“We stood there watching and thinking ‘I’m happy as not many horses can quicken like he can’ and if it turned into a burn up in the last couple of furlongs, then William is on the right horse.

“William knows him and has the confidence on him, and I have the confidence in both of them.

“I always say to William you will either be a hero or a villain. Sit and sit and when you want to go, sit again, and then at the last moment, let him off.

“The team at home have done a great job. Colm O’Donoghue rides him and told me he’s in the form of his life and he was right. The team has done a fantastic job, and I’m delighted for the horse as that’s a stallion-making win for him.”

Notable Speech shot to the top of the market for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1,600m) at Royal Ascot on June 16, with Paddy Power going 6-4 for the Berkshire opener.

Added Appleby: “He will go on from here to the Queen Anne. We were unlucky in the Queen Anne last year and to be fair, we’ve learnt about this horse, and I think knowing what we know now, we would have gone very close in the Queen Anne last year.

“Naturally he’s going to go straight there now. We’ll take Opera Ballo as well and it will be a big race for us, but I go there with Notable Speech more relaxed now that he has done that.

“All I wanted him to do was win another Group 1 in Europe and he’s done that now.”

Opera Ballo’s success in the Group 2 bet365 Mile (1,600m) on April 24 had been Appleby’s only winner before his double at Newmarket on May 15, but the Moulton Paddocks-based handler proved class is always permanent with his latest top-level triumph.

“I’ve never been worried – I think it’s a sign of weakness if you start worrying,” said Appleby on his recent stable form.

“I said to the team don’t change what we’ve done for the last 15 years as it’s been working. It’s a model we know, some horses just aren’t good enough and are finding their level.”

“It was nice to have a couple of winners yesterday to springboard into the weekend, but it wouldn’t have worried me if they hadn’t have won as I knew this horse was 110 per cent ready.”

Buick, who also steered Notable Speech to victory in the Group 1 Guineas Stakes (1,600m) and the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (1,600m) two years ago, was quick to laud the latest Lockinge winner as an “absolutely top-class miler”.

“He has an explosive turn of foot and comes on the scene late and I thought he was exceptional today and felt amazing,” he said.

“It’s a great training performance from Charlie and the team to get him back here in good shape and it was a phenomenal performance.

“We went to Keeneland last time thinking we would win and never got a fair crack at it at all, and it was frustrating. But we knew he was coming here in good shape and it’s always nice to correct those frustrating losses.” RACING AND SPORTS