Notable Speech

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Notable Speech at Woodbine. Dubawi Classic Winner Shines At Woodbine Godolphin homebred Notable Speech arrived late on the scene to take the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile for Charlie Appleby on September 13 (video). The son of Dubawi won the G1 2,000 Guineas last year and defeated older milers in the G1 Sussex Stakes. He is a son of the group-placed Swift Rose (Invincible...

Charlie Appleby and William Buick have teamed to take the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile--two out of the last three years, and in the form of Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) they appear well positioned to add to that total Saturday afternoon in suburban Toronto. When Team Godolphin raid from Europe, you can rest assured that it isn't just for the Tim Horton's. They mean business and their record bears that out. Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi...

Charlie Appleby says it's not easy to come over to North America and win major stakes, even though he makes it look that way. On Saturday at Woodbine, Appleby will send out three horses, all of them in Grade I competition, and each one looks to have an excellent chance. He usually does well when he ships to anywhere in North America, but has been particularly tough at Woodbine, where he is 9-for-17 (53%). All nine of his Canadian winners have come in Grade I stakes. "We have sent the...

Sunday, Deauville, France, post time: 15:50, THE AGA KHAN STUDS PRIX JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €1,000,000, 3yo/up, c/f, 8fT Field: Zabiari (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Go To First (Jpn) (Rulership (Jpn), King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}), Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), Ridari (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). TDN Verdict: Japanese duo Go To First and Ascoli Piceno add Far East flavour to a stellar renewal...

Ahead of next week's York Ebor Festival, a middling Saturday in Britain and Ireland precedes a serious Sunday in France, where the G1 The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois offers a grand spectacle of international flavour. Sponsored by Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard for many moons, Deauville's jewel of their August Meeting is now graced by another huge operation with great prestige to fit what has always been one of Europe's key events. Fortunately this year we get to see how a top Japanese runner can fare against...

Newmarket's July Festival winds up on Saturday, with the feature G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup the stage for the potential reinvention of Godolphin's Notable Speech (Dubawi). Luckily for him and unfortunately for the rest of us, he has no international heavyweights to deal with in a renewal that looks a bit light on its usual quality. With the main protagonists of the Commonwealth Cup, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and King's Stand all absent, this looks one of the most winnable editions for some time and it will...

Last year's 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech heads a list of 16 contenders for Saturday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup at Newmarket, after being supplemented on Monday at a cost of £36,000. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech has raced exclusively over a mile in his 10 career starts to date, with last year's G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood featuring among his other significant victories. Last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the son of Dubawi now faces a two-furlong drop in...

With the exception of Ballydoyle's hot prospect 2-year-old Albert Einstein, there are no key figures missing from Royal Ascot's opening card on Tuesday and the scene is set for the first of the week's moments of truth. With the St James's Palace featuring the winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and "French 2,000 Guineas" and the Queen Anne boasting all the elite milers of Europe and a bit extra, the standard has been met again in the year which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession. From...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Beyond the action on the racecourse at Newmarket this week, there are plenty of pointers to the first two Classics of the season to be found in the mornings and Charlie Appleby took to the Rowley Mile early on Wednesday with a team which included his two best juveniles of last year. Desert Flower (Ire), the unbeaten G1 Fillies' Mile winner, was by far the most visually impressive of the Godolphin workers as she powered through the dip and up the hill under William Buick. Her efforts...

Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks (More Than Ready) has spent a fair bit of the last 16 months in the shadow cast by his talented contemporary, 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). In three previous head-to-head battles, the $135,000 Keeneland September graduate had finished behind his rival each time, but the quirky dark bay managed to flip the script on one of racing's biggest stages, coming with a barnstorming rally--in particular in the final 100 yards--to win Saturday's GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Amid strong winds and squally showers which served as a reminder that after this weekend the baton will be passed back across Newmarket's Devil's Dyke to the Rowley Mile, the 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) took advantage of the July Course for one last time this season with an early-morning gallop on Friday. Ridden by Paul Eddery, Godolphin's chestnut colt worked over a mile alongside stable-mate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). "I was pleased with how he came out of the...

Goodwood, UK -- In a near-repeat performance of last year, a Mick Appleby-trained 'Big' horse by a first-season sire, running in the red and blue silks of Paul and Rachael Teasdale's RP Racing Ltd, scorched to success in the G3 Molecomb Stakes.  What came next for Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) was several victories moving up through the grades and rounding off his juvenile season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. It is a pretty safe bet that with each new victory came larger and larger offers...