Notable Speech aiming to join July Cup giants

It might be stretching it to say Notable Speech attempts to do an Ajdal in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, but his presence has certainly added lots of spice to the Newmarket showpiece.

Dewhurst winner Ajdal was miraculously brought back from defeats in the 2000 Guineas and Derby by Sir Michael Stoute to win the sprint championship in 1987, while the following year crack miler Soviet Star shone for Andre Fabre and France.

Royal Academy was another brilliant miler to win the July Cup, and now it is last year’s Guineas hero Notable Speech who gets his chance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, having so far this year been fourth in both the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne.

Buick – on a high this week after recording his 2,000th career success in Britain – said: “I’ll tell you after the race whether it was the correct decision or not!

“He’s only ever raced over a mile and he is a very speedy miler, which the good milers usually are. I’ve always felt he could drop back in trip, certainly to seven furlongs, and I know Charlie has earmarked the City of York as one of his possible targets.

“Obviously we won’t know fully about six furlongs until we try it, but it’s worth a try. He’s a horse with loads of speed and if he can adapt to that early pace and be within himself, I think he’ll be there with a very good shot.”

Reflecting on his Ascot performance, Buick said: “He was unlucky and it was such a nightmare of a race. They went so slow and we were in a pocket and it was just one of those races you couldn’t take too much out of. Sadly, we just had to put a line through it and move on.

“Once the dust settled, Charlie and the team thought long and hard about this race for him and we’ll give it a go.

“It’s a different thing to what he has done. If you go back to the Guineas he won, that was a strongly-run Guineas run at a fast pace throughout and he’s a horse with a high cruising speed, so I hope that he will give himself every chance to travel within himself early in the race, wherever he’s happy.”

Appleby also runs Symbol Of Honour, who had been among the ante-post favourites until his stablemate was supplemented.

The trainer said: “On their home work they’re chalk and cheese, but Symbol Of Honour has always been like that and when he gets on the racecourse he’s just tough – he gets out on the pace and grinds it out.

“Notable Speech, without stating the obvious, is the class horse going into the race.

“When Will got off him at Kempton last year he said the English Guineas might be a bit stiff for him, but obviously he went and won the English Guineas and from there on he’s only ever run over a mile.

“But from what I saw in the Lockinge and although it was hard to assess Ascot because they went steady, he is a supreme traveller and I felt he’s got plenty to gain by running here on Saturday and nothing to lose.”

The ever-growing Wathnan Racing run three, but it was not a hard choice for retained rider James Doyle to pick Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda following her sterling effort when third at Royal Ascot.

“I haven’t actually had a chance to sit on her recently but I did her ride her before, albeit as a two-year-old,” said Doyle.

“I’m sure she’ll be a little bit different to the last time I sat on her, but I had a good chat with Andrew about whether it was a good idea to come down and he felt she’s very straightforward. He said there are no issues there, he didn’t think.

“Her two wins did come with ease in the ground and I’m sure one day that that might help her, but her best form  – her last run and some other bits of form –  came on very quick ground.

“When she ran behind Kind Of Blue there was plenty of ease in the ground but she’s shown to be very versatile.

“I don’t think it’s too much of a worry and she’s not a big, heavy filly, she’s quite light on her feet.”

Wathnan are also represented by Karl Burke’s Night Raider and the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning.

Aidan O’Brien last won the race in 2019 with Ten Sovereigns and 12 months prior to that with another three-year-old, US Navy Flag. He runs Whistlejacket from the Classic generation this year.

Paul Smith of owners Coolmore said: “He’s working very well at home, but I see the money is coming for him and I don’t know where that money is coming from.

“He’s in good form, he’s a quality horse and was a good two-year-old, so we’re looking forward to seeing him run on Saturday.”