Charlie Appleby was left puzzled by the lacklustre performance of Notable Speech in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he finished ahead of only one horse. Appleby hinted at the possibility of dropping the colt in distance for his next race, despite his impressive victories on the all-weather surface at Kempton and his turf debut win at the Rowley Mile Classic.
Notable Speech, a Dubawi colt, was the favourite heading into the St James's Palace Stakes, facing tough competition from the likes of Metropolitan and Rosallion. Jockey William Buick rode him as usual, but Notable Speech failed to respond when asked for an extra effort, ultimately finishing seventh in a disappointing result. Appleby highlighted that the horse didn't show his usual spark and may benefit from a drop in trip moving forward.
Despite the underwhelming performance, Appleby remains hopeful for the future, mentioning potential races such as the Prix Jean Prat and the Breeders' Cup Mile for Notable Speech. Aidan O'Brien's Henry Longfellow finished second in the race, showing signs of improvement after a troubled race in the French Guineas.
Metropolitan, trained by Mario Baratti, finished third and while Baratti was disappointed by his luck in the race, he remained optimistic about the horse's potential at a mile distance.