City Of York: Notable Speech cruises to sixth Group One win

Notable Speech bounced back to his brilliant best to claim his sixth Group One victory in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

Charlie Appleby’s chestnut has been a top-class performer for the last three seasons, with his big-race haul including the 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes in 2024, the Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2025 and the Lockinge at Newbury this spring.

He suffered a rare blip when only sixth as favourite the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in June, but dropped back to seven furlongs on the Knavesmire – albeit on easier ground than ideal – and showed his true colours in the hands of regular partner William Buick, travelling powerfully before quickening two and three-quarter lengths clear of the chasing pack as the 9-4 favourite.

Appleby said: “You’ve got to admire him. You get good horses who can do it at two and three, but when they do it at four and five you’ve got to doff your cap to them.

“We’re allowed to give these horses the opportunity to do it and that is full credit to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin for letting us keep these horses in training, as it would be very easy to retire a horse like him.

“The likes of Modern Games and Space Blues, they could have gone to stud much earlier. It was different with Rebel’s Romance as a gelding, but if I had a mare I’d be the first person to send one to a horse winning Group Ones at three, four and five.

“This new seven-furlong Group One is what we needed in the UK and it is being well supported. A horse like him winning it will hopefully give the race plenty of kudos.”

The Moulton Paddocks handler will now target a second Breeders’ Cup success with his charge, adding: “I spoke to a couple of guys from the Breeders’ Cup earlier today. What is good about today is he has showed his versatility on ground slightly softer than ideal.

“Going to Keeneland you can have a question mark about whether the ground will be a bit more autumnal, so hopefully that has given us the confidence that we can head straight to the Breeders’ Cup now.”

William Haggas was proud of the runner-up Lake Forest, who was beaten two and three-quarter lengths but could meet the winner again in America.

“We could have a rematch in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, we’ll certainly look at it, but the winner has been there before and done it. We haven’t been round a corner in this country before today I don’t think,” said Haggas.

“You need to jump out of the stalls well so we’ll see. I don’t know what we’ll do next as he’s a Group Two winner which ties you a bit. He ran a good race he just had no cover throughout.

“He’s a useful horse and he’ll land on one of these one day.”

Owner Charlie Bond was left ruing the ground drying up for the Andrew Balding-trained Marvelman, who made much of the running before placing third.

“We probably needed a bit more rain and we’d have got a bit closer – if the race was on Wednesday that would have suited us,” said Bond.

“He’s run a cracker, he’d been doing some unbelievable work at home and Andrew was confident he’d be placed.

“The question now is if we drop back to six furlongs as he has such a high cruising speed. We’ll probably follow the weather.

“Haydock and the Sprint Cup comes into it and we obviously won the Group One in France (Prix de la Foret) last year with a horse who finished third in this race (Maranoa Charlie).

“It’s the first time since we bought him that he’s actually had give in the ground, and it’s only good ground today.”