Charlie Appleby is confident that 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech has what it takes to excel at Del Mar as he aims to secure his fourth consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile victory.
Appleby has dominated the race in recent years, with Space Blues, Modern Games, and Master Of The Seas all claiming victory for Godolphin. This year, however, the Classic-winning son of Dubawi may be the best yet, with odds of 7-2 to continue the trainer's streak in California.
Notable Speech has already demonstrated resilience, bouncing back from a St James’s Palace defeat to win the Sussex Stakes. He now faces another challenge after a second loss in the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp, where testing ground hindered his signature turn of foot, allowing Andre Fabre’s Tribalist to take control.
Appleby remains optimistic, noting the positives from the trip to France, and is preparing to ramp up Notable Speech’s training ahead of his American campaign.
"America is still the target, and he’s in good order," Appleby said. "We’re just going through the motions right now, but we’ll start to wind him up in the coming weeks."
"We were pleased with how he handled the trip to Longchamp, even though the ground didn’t suit him. The one thing he showed was that he travels well, which is important for America."
"At Del Mar, he’s perfectly suited for the mile with a couple of turns. All we need now is a good draw on the day."