Charlie Appleby (left) and William Buick © Photo Healy Racing
When it comes to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Charlie Appleby has been an unstoppable force and he now goes for a record fourth straight success with 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech at Del Mar on Saturday.
The Moulton Paddocks handler’s winning run began right here in the San Diego suburbs with Space Blues in 2021 and he has saddled Modern Games and Master Of The Seas to take home the prize for the last two years.
However, he now runs arguably his best contender yet in his Classic-winning son of Dubawi, who has shown his aptitude for a tight turning track when winning at Kempton in his early days and then his quality for red-hot assignments by scoring not only at Newmarket in the spring, but also in the Sussex Stakes.
Appleby said: “Notable Speech is in great form. If they go hard they will come back, but he’s one of those horses you would be comfortable about wherever he is during the race.
“He’s drawn six. I didn’t want to be any wider, but that gate still gives William (Buick, jockey) options. He’s an exciting horse and is, with his 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes wins, the highest-profile horse I’ve ever brought out here.”
Notable Speech was sunk by the ground in the Prix du Moulin last time out, with Appleby adding: “We know he doesn’t want soft ground, but he travelled and settled well and all the signs are good.”
The race lost some of its spice when Christopher Head’s Ramatuelle was ruled out of the race on Friday, but Notable Speech still faces a worthy adversary in Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna.
Second in the 1000 Guineas before landing the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she has since cemented herself as one of Europe’s leading performers at the distance by adding Group One victories in the Falmouth Stakes and Matron Stakes.
“She ran a belter in the Guineas first time out and after that, she hasn’t missed a beat since,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve had a great year with her, it’s great to bring her back here and hopefully we can finish the year on a high.
“She’s trained very well, we’re very happy with her, she’s healthy and happy and everything has gone to plan, so all is good so far.”
Porta Fortuna will be partnered by Tom Marquand and the trip to Del Mar represents a chance to go one better than when just touched off at Santa Anita 12 month’s ago.
O’Brien added: “We learned last year that she handles it very well, she handles the travel good and she’s travelled over well again this year.
“You can never be sure how they will cope with a long flight like that and adjusting over here, it can be very different for them, but she’s got a great temperament, so we’re lucky that way.”
Donnacha’s father Aidan O’Brien will saddle the hat-trick-seeking Diego Velazquez, while Chad Brown’s Carl Spackler and Tim Yakteen’s Johannes appear the pick of the US contingent, both arriving on a winning streak.
