An unbeaten colt by a champion sire won the Group I Newmarket The Two Thousand Guineas (1m) overnight, but it wasn’t the one most people thought.
Much hyped race favourite City of Troy was looking to keep his unbeaten record intact in his seasonal return following a stellar juvenile year that ended with victory in the Group I Dewhurst Stakes at 7f and Champion 2YO honours..
The Aidan O’Brien trained son of Justify was a hot favourite, but failed to muster a challenge and it was left to Godolphin 16-1 shot Notable Speech to forge clear of Blue Point’s Group I winning son Rosallion to win by a length and a half.
City of Troy finished in ninth place.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Notable Speech had won three previous starts this year at Kempton on the all weather track over a mile, but had never been tested in Black Type company so took the proverbial quantum leap with this brilliant win.
William Buick has been on the Dubawi colt for all of his wins and is his biggest fan.
“He really was impressive. He's the kind of horse who I've not known for that long. I came back from Dubai and rode him in February and here we are… I've not very often believed in a horse as much as this guy. I've had that much belief in him and sometimes you go home at night and think 'have I lost the plot all together?' because that's how he does things, he does it so easily and his change of gear is incredible,” said Buick.
“The race couldn't have worked out any better, fair play to the team he was in great form today. He's done nothing but improve. He's an out-and-out miler, he's all about speed. He's got a strong mind, I really think he's a horse who is going to keep improving.”
A homebred for Godolphin, Notable Speech has been a work in progress for the stable.
“I’m in a lucky position that I have no pressure on me and I just have to make sure I do the best I can,” Charlie Appleby said.
“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear – last year showed that – but I think we have what we need to get back to the top table now.
“What he did on his last start really made us think there’s a racehorse here for sure, it had a real ‘wow factor’. From that point to when we galloped him here everything we were learning about him gave us confidence. Paul Eddery sat on him the other day and he got off him and said the favourite would have to be very good to beat him, and he's sat on a lot of good horses.
“Will said if he was a Pattern winner as a two-year-old you’d be delighted with what he did in that gallop and you’d be happy coming here to take on the world. Last year the lads who rode him said he was a nice horse and he just went weak, but he’s not looked back this year.”
Notable Speech is the first winner for Group III placed Invincible Spirit mare Swift Rose, a half-sister to Group I winner Wild Beauty and Group III winner Desert Wisdom, who is also by Dubawi.
His pedigree traces back to fourth dam Cherokee Rose, a brilliant dual Group I winning sprinter, who has spawned an impressive dynasty of stakes-winners that includes Group I winners Kirklees, Mastery, Mukhadram and this season's Group I placed Australian juvenile Linebacker.
Notable Speech is the 58th Group I winner for Dubawi and is the sixth for Invincible Spirit as a broodmare sire. He is the best of three stakes-winners bred on this nick which has had 18 winners from 23 starters. so 78% winner to runner and 13% SW to runner.
