Notable Speech & Rebel’s Romance chasing historic Breeders’ Cup wins

Classic-winning colt Notable Speech and international superstar Rebel’s Romance feature among a particularly strong Godolphin squad for day two of the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, USA, Saturday 2 November.

Dubawi, Charlie Appleby and William Buick have made the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile their own for the past three years, with the sire/trainer/jockey combination responsible for Space Blues, Modern Games and Master Of The Seas.

This year, the trio are responsible for Notable Speech, who arguably brings stronger form into the race thanks to scintillating victories in the G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes.

A three-time winner on the all-weather, Notable Speech became the first horse in 86 years to win the 2,000 Guineas having not raced at two as he emphatically beat subsequent two-time G1 winner Rosallion.

Notable Speech bounced back from a disappointing G1 St James’s Palace Stakes effort with another brilliant display in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. He failed to give his true running on soft ground in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September, when he finished fifth behind Tribalist.

Charlie Appleby said: “Notable Speech will be comfortable regardless of the pace of the race. I’m happy with stall six – I didn’t want to be drawn any wider round here – and it will hopefully give Will [Buick] all the options he needs. If the pace is on, he can drop in and ride a race, and, if he feels he needs to be on the heels of the leaders, that draw will give him options.

“Heading to Longchamp last time was a little test to see how he would cope with the travel. We walked away from that race knowing that he doesn’t handle soft ground but, more importantly, that he coped with the travelling well. As soon as you put a saddle on his back, he’s probably one of the most professional horses you’ll see on the training track. All the signs have been good so far.

“He’s an exciting horse and probably the highest-profile three-year-old that we have brought over, being a 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner. There’s plenty of strength in depth this year, so it will be a great race to watch.”

Rebel’s Romance hopes to become only the third horse to win the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf twice, and the first to capture the race in non-sequential years, having stormed to victory in the 12-furlong highlight at Keeneland in 2022.

Following an interrupted 2023 campaign, the son of Dubawi has looked better than ever at the age of six, with decisive wins in the G3 HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar, the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and G1 Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong.

He returns to North America on the back of a resolute success in the G1 Preis von Europa in Germany – his sixth top-level win.

Charlie Appleby said: “Rebel’s Romance always runs with his heart on his sleeve and he’s travelled over great. I was delighted with his run in Germany – we had given him a nice break after the King George as that was a gruelling race. I felt he left Ascot with credit as he was the only horse to maintain a hard gallop, whereas Goliath and Bluestocking came from off the pace.

“He was 85-90% fit when he ran in Germany and was just getting a bit tired in the last 100 yards. Will got off him that day and said he would improve a ton for it. The horse is showing the right signs that the improvement has come and he looks in great shape.”

Highland Falls brings a progressive profile into the meeting’s biggest race, the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, with the Brad Cox-trained four-year-old lining up on the back of a four-length verdict in Saratoga’s G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at the start of September.

Fourth on his previous visit to California in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, the homebred boasts a Breeders’ Cup pedigree, with his sire Curlin having won the 2007 Classic and dam Round Pond scoring in the 2006 Distaff.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “Highland Falls has done nothing but impress Brad since his breakout win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He has trained superbly for the past month indicating that he will be able run to the best of his ability in the Classic.

“He has drawn favorably in two and can hopefully get a nice position around the first turn and be in a stalking role. He will relish the distance and should be finishing up strongly. Hopefully, he is peaking at the right time of the year, and we are optimistic that he will be in the mix as they hit the wire.”

Cinderella’s Dream heads into the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a career record of six wins from seven starts for Charlie Appleby, including emphatic victories on both her US appearances so far in the G1 Belmont Oaks and G2 Saratoga Oaks.

She is joined in the 11-furlong contest by stable-mate Beautiful Love, who lines up on the back of two Graded appearances at Aqueduct, including a swooping win in the G3 Jockey Club Oaks in mid-September.

Charlie Appleby said: “Cinderella’s Dream broke the track record in the Belmont Oaks and then won the Saratoga Oaks easily. We intended to go to Woodbine for the E P Taylor Stakes, but she had a touch of colic when she got there and we took her to train at Keeneland. We did think about the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for her, but I didn’t want her to have a hard race coming into a championship contest like this. We know she runs well fresh and her preparation has gone to plan.

“Beautiful Love ran creditably behind Cinderella’s Dream out in Dubai at the start of the year and won the Jockey Club Oaks at Aqueduct in the summer. You could mark her as being slightly unlucky on her latest start in the Waya Stakes, and she deserves her spot in the race. She will see out the 11 furlongs well and has experience of racing out here under her belt.”

No three-year-old filly has won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, although Star Of Mystery possesses a battled-hardened profile, having placed against older opposition in both the G1 Al Quoz Sprint and G1 Jaipur Stakes already this season.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Kodiac homebred easily won the G3 Quick Call Stakes in the summer and was given an impossible task in the G2 Franklin Stakes at Keeneland in October, in which she flew home from last to fill the runner-up spot.

Charlie Appleby said: “Star Of Mystery put up two good performances at Saratoga, and I was pleased with the way she took to the US style of racing straight away in the Jaipur Stakes. She won the Quick Call very easily and we had to miss another intended run at Saratoga due to the rain.

“I was happy enough with her run in the Franklin Stakes, when she was unlucky, because she got a nice run into herself without being asked too many serious questions. She has a good draw in six and the experience of racing out here. She should be bang there at the finish.”