'He Was Firing on All Cylinders Today': Buick Hails Sussex Hero Notable Speech

Putting his G1 St James's Palace Stakes flop firmly behind him, Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) rattled home in style to dominate Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. On the limit in William Buick's hands following the pace set by Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 2,000 Guineas hero was able to relax once placed in a pocket behind that 11-10 favourite and Sonny Liston (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).
Seizing the advantage up the inside with 150 yards remaining, the 3-1 second favourite surged clear for a 1 1/2-length success from the closer Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio), with last year's runner-up Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) a neck behind in third and Henry Longfellow paying for his early exertions in fourth. “He was firing on all cylinders coming in here today,” Buick said. “He was a brilliant Guineas winner with a turn of foot you very rarely see and we saw that again today.”

“Full credit to the team. They've done such a fantastic job to get him back after a disappointing run in the St James's Palace Stakes, where we knew it was too bad to be true. He's a horse that really excites you and it's a real privilege to ride him.”

Becoming the first colt since 1938 to win the Guineas without having raced at two, Notable Speech had nevertheless served notice that he was a serious piece of kit with displays that showcased his dramatic surge of acceleration in three Kempton Polytrack starts in January, February and April. His final act before his turf debut saw him close out the old “Easter Stakes” with fractions of 10.81 and 10.98 and so he went to Newmarket less an unknown quantity and more a lurking dark horse.

Perfectly suited by the bold early pace in that Classic and by the premature strike of Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), the homebred picked off rivals one by one but at Royal Ascot he was too far out of his ground behind a moderate tempo and could only run hard into a pace that was already quickening ahead of him. What factor the outsider Sonny Liston had on Henry Longfellow as he harrassed him throughout the early stages is hard to quantify, but where Ballydoyle's colt emptied late the Appleby runner was full of fuel.

As it was, the race was set up ideally for Rosallion but he wasn't here much to the dismay of his connections, who mentioned he is a possible entry for the G1 Prix Moulin on Sept. 8. At least the purists will get to see the rematch in a more balanced form now that Notable Speech will be re-engaging with the Hannon star with confidence restored. Appleby was quick to send a message to Hannon in the immediate aftermath. “First and foremost, I feel for Richard and all the team there with Rosallion, we wanted the 'duel on the Downs' and to have had two Classic winners coming here would have been fantastic,” he said.

“There was still plenty of strength in depth there with the three-year-old in Henry Longfellow and the older horses and was a race that still had to be won,” he added. “Disappointment always kicks in when you have an unbeaten horse and a Guineas winner beaten, but as I've always been taught, never look back, always look forward.”

Appleby is understandably keen on the Breeders' Cup. “Going forward, will he stretch any further? I don't think so,” he continued. “There's no reason to go beyond a mile, people might mention the Breeders' Cup Mile. The one thing about this horse is that he's maturing and from January onwards, he was running once a month and straight into a Guineas, so it was a quick and steep learning curve for him. We could see there was immaturity there going into Ascot, but today he's become more of a man.”

Mauren Haggas said of Maljoom, who was running a career-best and returning to the kind of form that had seen him be a luckless fourth in the 2022 G1 St James's Palace Stakes, “That was very good and each run this year he's got better. He's always slow away from the gates and you can't give these good horses ground, but he ran on very well. I'd like to try him over a mile and a quarter. He is a beautiful horse and I hope there's more to come.”

Michael Tabor said of Henry Longfellow, “The horse alongside him early in the race hustled him up and Ryan said he was never comfortable on this track. He has to be a lot better than that, but only time will tell.”

🔵 Back to his BEST 🔵

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 shows a sparkling turn of foot to win the @Qatar_Racing Sussex Stakes in decisive fashion.@WilliamBuickX | @godolphin | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/YORGSzvJ87

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 31, 2024

Pedigree Notes

Notable Speech is the first foal out of the G3 UAE Oaks runner-up Swift Rose, who is a daughter of the ill-fated Listed Prix Ceres winner and G3 Prix du Palais-Royal and G3 Prix de Meautry runner-up Tulips (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). She is therefore a half-sister to Dubawi's G3 Burj Nahaar winner Desert Wisdom (GB) and to the GI Natalma S. and G3 Fred Darling S. scorer Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

The fourth dam is the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup heroine Cherokee Rose (Ire) (Dancing Brave), responsible for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Bowman (Irish River {Fr}). This is also the family of the operation's G1 St Leger and G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Mastery (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}), the G1 Gran Criterium winner Kirklees (Ire) (Jade Robbery) and Invincible Spirit's G2 Challenge S.-winning sire Cable Bay (Ire). Swift Rose's second offering is a yearling daughter of Pinatubo (Ire).

Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR SUSSEX STAKES-G1, £1,000,000, Goodwood, 7-31, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:35.97, g/f.
1–NOTABLE SPEECH (GB), 128, c, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
     1st Dam: Swift Rose (Ire) (GSP-UAE, $135,326), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Tulips (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
     3rd Dam: Hint Of Spring (GB), by Seeking The Gold
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £567,100. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-0, $1,145,410. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Maljoom (Ire), 136, h, 5, Caravaggio–Nictate (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). (72,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; 160,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-GCE Farm Ltd (IRE); T-William Haggas. £215,000.
3–Facteur Cheval (Ire), 136, g, 5, Ribchester (Ire)–Jawlaat (Ire), by Shamardal. (145,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; €120,000 Ylg '20 ARDEAY). O-Team Valor International LLC & Gary Barber; B-McCracken Farms (IRE); T-Jerome Reynier. £107,600.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1HF. Odds: 3.00, 5.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: Henry Longfellow (Ire), Sonny Liston (Ire). Scratched: Rosallion (Ire).