In profile: Notable Speech

By Peter Fornatale 

Much would have been expected of NOTABLE SPEECH heading into his four-year-old campaign, having landed the 2000 Guineas and the Sussex Stakes in his sophomore year in 2024. However, a total of just one win from five starts represents an underwhelming return from a season that promised so much. With that said, there’s reason to believe the best may yet be to come.

Notable Speech started the season with two fourth-placed finishes. The first of those came in the Lockinge at Newbury, where he could reasonably have been expected to need the run, and he subsequently pulled too hard before flattening out tamely in the Queen Anne.

Following that strong travelling and weak finishing effort at Royal Ascot, it wasn’t a huge surprise to see Notable Speech dropped back to 6f for the July Cup, particularly given the weakness of the sprint division. And although Notable Speech could only finish sixth in that contest, there were the first signs that he may be returning to his best. Having tracked the speed, the son of Dubawi came through nicely to challenge over a furlong out but just got run out of it by those drawn a bit higher, doing best of the sextet who raced on the nearside rail.

While there may have been hints of a return to form in that display, Notable Speech’s next effort left zero doubt that he was back at the top of his game.

Sent to France to tackle a competitive renewal of the Prix Jacques le Marois, Notable Speech did everything but win. As he had done at Ascot, he once again moved smoothly through the contest but just couldn't get a run at a key stage of the race. He had to wait to while the leaders were going for home, and as a result he couldn't quite make up the ground on Diego Velazquez, although he did remarkably well to finish just a head behind.

The clock more than confirmed the visual impression that Notable Speech was right back to his best, with the colt producing some of the best Group 1 sectionals of the season, scorching home in 32.27s for the final three furlongs.

This turn of foot was once again evident in Notable Speech’s most recent start in the Woodbine Mile. Facing over-matched rivals, Charlie Appleby’s star was sent off odds-on and made no mistake. Having settled nicely in mid-pack, he was asked to win his race at the top of the lane and quickly obliged, exploding clear to win easily - recording a 101 Beyer in the process.

Although that number is two spots shy of the figure he ran when third in the Mile last year, I get the impression that Notable Speech might be sitting on a bigger effort this time around. No miler has really stamped their authority on the division this year, either in the US or Europe, and it may be that this very talented horse can end a campaign that looked to be veering towards disappointment on a triumphant note.

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