William Buick

Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas went to an unbeaten colt with TDN Rising Star status, but instead of the bitterly disappointing City Of Troy (Justify) it was Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who stepped up to conquer the Newmarket Classic. Sent off at 16-1 on his first start on turf, the Charlie Appleby-trained homebred who unusually had not raced at two and had only been to Kempton so far in his career, was kept sprung-loaded in last by a confident William Buick content...

Last seen winning the G3 Zetland S. in commanding fashion at Newmarket in October, Godolphin's Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Dubai Rose {GB}, by Dubai Destination) furthered his Derby claims with a return win in Friday's G3 Sandown Classic Trial. Sent off the 5-6 favourite for the 10-furlong blue riband prep, the €600,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate was quickly to the fore under William Buick and already held a clear advantage at the top of the straight. Never seriously troubled from there, one of the key Derby hopefuls for Charlie Appleby...

Godolphin's Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Innevera {Fr}, by Motivator {GB}) had won one of five overseas starts since annexing last term's G3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket and made a winning European return with back-to-back victories in Wednesday's latest renewal of the nine-furlong test. The gelded 5-year-old backed up last term's success with a win in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. before hitting the board in June's GI Manhattan S. back in New York. He then returned off a sabbatical to place in Meydan's G2 Al...

Making his fourth straight appearance on the North American continent, Godolphin's Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) overcame easy underfoot conditions and five other rivals to add Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile to his previous victories in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile when last seen at Santa Anita last November. Naval Power (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), conversely racing for the first time on these shores, completed the exacta for the 'Boys In Blue.' Sent off at 77 cents on the dollar while making his 6-year-old...

Godolphin's Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) made her seasonal return a successful one and downed 'TDN Rising Star' Ramatuelle (Justify) to become her connections' first winner, in a thrilling renewal, of Deauville's G3 Prix Imprudence. The 37-10 third favourite, who shed maiden status at Great Yarmouth in September before winning the Listed Bosra Sham S., was positioned second in the far-side group and raced in an overall fifth through halfway in this seven-furlong distaffers' Guineas trial. Looming large out wide with 300 metres remaining, she quickened to the...

Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) entered the old Easter Stakes at Kempton on Saturday with a two-for-two record and a glowing reputation and exited as TDN Rising Star with a performance that oozed class. Held up last of the quintet early by a confident William Buick, the 4-7 favourite was slipped through the gaps to overwhelm Ralph Beckett's Derby entry Valvano (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) inside the final furlong and surge to a two-length success. The Hannon runner Persica (Ire) (New Bay...

The rider who streaked home in the £4.7m Sheema Classic in Dubai at the weekend is also odds-on to win something rather more quaint. The title of champion Flat race jockey was once contested with fierce pride by men who thrashed car engines dashing up and down the land to ride a winner at Redcar or Salisbury. Lester Piggott, Willie Carson and Pat Eddery didn't care where it was, provided it landed a blow on their rivals. Sometimes small private planes would lift them over the motorway traffic. But the...

Charlie Appleby, runaway leading trainer this season at Meydan by both earnings ($8,915,500) and percentage of wins (40%) amongst those conditioners with more than a handful of runners at the meet, got his third winner on the Super Saturday card with LEGEND OF TIME (GB) (c, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire}-Kissable {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in the Listed Jumeirah Classic sponsored by Arabian Adventures. His earlier wins on the evening came with Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G2 Dubai City of Gold and with Cinderella's Dream...

CINDERELLA'S DREAM (GB) (f, 3, Shamardal--Espadrille {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) ran out a 5 1/2-length winner of the 1600-metre AED800,000 Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas, despite having her saddle slip approaching the far turn. Jockey William Buick kicked free of his irons and rode the rest of the race in what he described as a "bit of a rodeo show", with the duo keeping straight and true to the line, despite being at least four wide off the fence. Godolphin claimed this contest last year when it was only a conditions...

Godolphin's globetrotting  Rebel's Romance (Ire) (g, 6, Dubawi {Ire}--Minidress {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire}) entered Saturday's $2.5-million G3 H.H. The Amir Trophy as one of three Group 1 winners in the field of 11, yet still had something to prove. Winless since causing a mild surprise in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, the homebred failed--for a variety of reasons--in two tries in America last summer, but hinted at a return to his best with an eye-catching victory at Kempton in December. He was a somewhat unexpected entry...

8th-Meydan, AED500,000, Cond., 2-2, NH & SH 3yo, 1600mT, 1:36.11, gd. Godolphin celebrated their fourth winner of the day bearing the royal blue, as LEGEND OF TIME (GB) (c, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire})--Kissable {Ire} {G1SP-Ire, SW & GSP-US, $225,919}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) drew off to win the Jumeirah Guineas Presented by Lincoln Nautilus by two lengths on Friday. The penultimate race of the day over 1600 metres on turf, the race marked the third win in four starts for the Charlie Appleby trainee. Content to track the first...

3rd-Meydan, AED500,000, Cond., 2-2, NH & SH 3yo, f, 1400mT, 1:23.27, gd. Godolphin's CINDERELLA'S DREAM (GB) (f, 3, Shamardal--Espadrille {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) made it three on the bounce with a fine closing effort in the Jumeirah Fillies' Classic Presented By Lincoln Aviator. She defeated stablemate Beautiful Love (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) by 2 3/4 lengths and won without being extended. The final time for the 1400m over the good turf was 1:23.27. Rated near the rear of the field for much of the race, the filly was wound up by...