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"Exceptional" Notable Speech runs away with Lockinge
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 16 May 2026
Notable Speech looked to be at the peak of his powers with a simply brilliant win in the Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
The heavily-backed 2-1 favourite for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, the 2000 Guineas hero from two years ago was last seen picking up placed prize-money when particularly unlucky in Keeneland, having ended last season with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
While an intriguing field had been assembled for this latest renewal of the Group One showpiece, Notable Speech was always travelling well within himself and Buick was able to pick off horses from the three-furlong pole onwards to score by two lengths from More Thunder, who himself ran a big race for William Haggas.
Appleby – who enjoyed a double at Newmarket on Friday after enduring a lean spell with his Moulton Paddocks operation – said: “He’s got some turn of foot. We were stood there watching 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.
Notable Speech was patiently ridden by William Buick before he sprinted clear to win by two lengths.(Photo:: Dan Abraham - focusonracing.com)
“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 and 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.”
Appleby added: “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 learned 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 One in Europe and he’s done that now.”
For Buick, it was another magical moment aboard a horse who has provided him with both a Classic and Breeders’ Cup triumph previously, showcasing all of his top-class attributes as he put a quality line-up to bed.
Buick said: “He has an explosive turn of foot and comes on the scene late and I thought he was exceptional today and felt amazing.
“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.”
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