3 minute read
Notable Speech put his Royal Ascot flop well behind him when running out a resounding winner of the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Charlie Appleby's Notable Speech became the first horse to complete the 2000 Guineas-Sussex Stakes double in the same season since Frankel when cantering clear of his rivals on the Sussex Downs this afternoon.
The Godolphin contender was sent off an easy-to-back 3/1 chance after his disappointing effort in the St James's Palace Stakes, but those who kept the faith in the 2000 Guineas hero had very little to worry about, as Buick cruised into contention approaching the cutaway.
In contrast, Aidan O'Brien's even-money favourite Henry Longfellow, who set out to make the running in the hands of Ryan Moore, never looked like playing a major role at the business end and with a handful of furlongs left to travel, it was all about one horse.
An instant turn of foot left even the most seasoned racegoers gasping in the crowd and although both Maljoom and Facteur Cheval set off in hot pursuit, they were never able to lay a glove on the winner, who went on to land the spoils by a length and a half. William Haggas' Maljoom would finish best of the rest to grab second, while the Jerome Reynier-trained Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval claimed bronze for France.
"He is a horse who excites you. He has a rare turn of foot. Today he was back to his best," said Buick, who was winning the prestigious prize for the first time. "Obviously, Ascot didn't work out for him, but we are delighted to have him back today.
"The Sussex is the first opportunity for the three-year-olds to take on the older horses and he handled it with ease.
"It is a really important race and one that has been missing for me, so I am delighted.
"I was where I expected to be in the race. With the cut-away, you have options. He has such acceleration he can change the complexion of a race very quickly. That is his forte. It is a privilege to ride him.
"He is such an uncomplicated horse and takes everything in his stride. A horse with his ability and turn of foot is rare to see. He's the best miler I've ever ridden."
A trip to the Breeders' Cup could be on the cards at the end of the season, for which Paddy Power cut him to 6/1 (from 14s).
Appleby said: "Of course, we'd love to go to America. He's learning week on week and maturing, so I wouldn't rule it out of the equation."
On his sparkling performance and how it felt to have his 2000 Guineas star back to his best, Appleby added: "Coming into today preparation was faultless, he looked great. He had a great trip around there. I was wondering whether they had taken the cutaway away - I was waiting for it to turn up - but once the cutaway arrived, William had plenty of horse underneath him to go and make use of it.
"What I love about him is that he hasn't got great stride length, but he turns those legs over quick, and that's why you see that acceleration. You'll see plenty of horses in the morning that have great stride length, and everyone will be very excited about it, but I like it when they turn them over quicker. It's normally a sign that they can quicken up."