Notable Speech heads trio in search of Woodbine G1 prizes

Notable Speech aims to provide Godolphin with a third G1 Woodbine Mile in the space of four years as he leads a three-strong royal blue challenge on Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day, Saturday, 13 September.

Modern Games (2022) and Master Of The Seas (2023) both warmed up for their G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile victories with success in the Woodbine Mile, with trainer Charlie Appleby having scored with nine of his 17 runners at the Toronto course.

Notable Speech met trouble in running when finishing a close third in last season’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, a performance that came at the end of a superb campaign that yielded top-level wins in the 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes.

Fourth in both the G1 Lockinge Stakes and G1 Queen Anne Stakes, the Dubawi colt emerged with credit against top sprinters in the G1 July Cup, in which he went down by two and a half lengths in fifth.

He returns to North America on the back of an exhilarating display in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville last month, when he flew home after finding room to go down by a head to Diego Velazquez.

Charlie Appleby said: “All three horses have taken the journey to Canada well and the team have been pleased with their training out there. Notable Speech put up a great performance in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, when he showed all of his usual enthusiasm.

“He has drawn well in stall two, but it’s only a good draw if you are able to make use of it. Hopefully, he can get a decent position and we know that he has a bit of experience of racing in North America from the Breeders’ Cup last year. We are hoping that he can get the job done here and book himself another trip back to Del Mar.”

Wild Desert bids to emulate Albahr (2021) and Mysterious Night (2022) with victory in the G1 Summer Stakes. An easy debut winner at Haydock Park, the Too Darn Hot colt was narrowly denied by Pacific Avenue in a Newmarket novice and was hampered close home when finishing third behind Saba Desert in the same course’s G2 Superlative Stakes.

Charlie Appleby said: “Wild Desert put up a solid performance in the Superlative Stakes. He’s out in stall 10, which will make it more challenging on the inner turf course. We are hoping that he can gain some experience of the style of racing out there and run a nice race, which could hopefully see him as a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He has been training well but will just need a bit of luck with his draw.”

Dubawi filly Dance To The Music brings an unbeaten profile into the G1 Natalma Stakes, a race won by La Pelosa (2018) and Wild Beauty (2021) in recent years. Having made a winning introduction on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, the sister to Space Blues switched to the July Course for the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes, which she gamely took by a neck.

Charlie Appleby said: “Dance To The Music doesn’t have a great deal of experience under her belt, winning both her starts, but we feel that track conditions at Woodbine will suit. She is drawn in stall five and inexperience might be the one thing that catches her out, although we hope her class will help her. If she can get balanced and have a nice trip, I am confident she will run a big race.”