Notable Speech Bounces Back With Lockinge Victory

If Charlie Appleby needed one horse to prove that stable form should be taken with a pinch of salt, then Notable Speech (GB) was the one to do it as he fired in another group 1 with a brilliant success in the May 16 Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury Racecourse. A double for the yard at Newmarket Racecourse May 15 ended a winless run of 29, stretching back to Opera Ballo (IRE)'s victory at Sandown Park April 24, but any concern regarding that record did not seem apparent as the 5-year-old, who was sent off as the 2-1 favorite, showed a sharp turn of foot under William Buick to deny More Thunder (IRE) and Zeus Olympios (GB). Appleby was fully aware of the talk surrounding the recent performances of some of his stars, but the Godolphin trainer did what he does best and continued to motor on as Notable Speech registered a fifth victory at the highest level. He said: "I've never been worried (about the form). It feels like a sign of weakness if you start to worry, but I've said to the team we won't change what we've done for the last 15 years, because it's been working. It's a model we know. We had to keep a steady hand because I had confidence the horses looked well and were well in themselves, and I wasn't going to change things. "Of course it was nice to have those couple of winners on Friday to springboard us into the weekend, but it wouldn't have worried me if they hadn't won. I knew this horse was 110% ready." Notable Speech added back-to-back grade 1s in North America in the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine and followed by the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar toward the back end of last year, and Appleby expressed his delight at being able to keep the reigning Eclipse champion turf male in training for another season. He said: "I have to thank the team for allowing us to keep him in training. Sometimes it's a big ask to keep them going as a 5-year-old, but we wanted to allow him to show what we've seen at home, and what we felt he's got, and today we've seen the real Notable Speech. There aren't too many horses that can quicken like him." All roads lead to Royal Ascot for the winner, who was cut to the 6-4 favorite (from 6-1) with Paddy Power for the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), in which he finished fourth in last year, and Appleby believes he is going into the race in better condition. He said: "The Queen Anne will be the next step. We did it last year. We weren't unlucky in it, but it was one of those races where they went very slow. "We've learned about this horse, and Will knows what he's like now from the Queen Anne last year. He's going there again, and it'll be a good race. I go there more relaxed with him now that he's done this." It was a second triumph in the race for Appleby and Buick after Modern Games (IRE) won in 2023, and the winning jockey praised the team's performance in getting Notable Speech back to his best after a troubled fourth-place finish in the April 10 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. "It was a great training performance by Charlie," Buick said. "When he went to America in the spring, it was a nightmare from start to finish. He didn't get a chance to show what he can do. We all knew he'd be in good shape here and it's been a great job by everybody. "The race fell apart in front of me a little bit. He's explosive. He's an absolutely top-class miler and he's done it across the Atlantic, as well as here. He's got a super temperament to go with his ability." Notable Speech finished 2 lengths ahead of More Thunder, with Zeus Olympios a further three-quarters of a length back in third, and his trainer Karl Burke was happy with his performance as he made the step up to group 1 company for the first time. Burke said: "It was a good run in his first group 1. He's made a positive step forward since Sandown, as we knew he would, but he's still a work in progress. It's only his sixth run in his life, and I think we can drop on a group 1 somewhere."