Charlie Appleby is ready to roll the dice over seven furlongs with Notable Speech in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes.
It had been widely expected that the 2024 2000 Guineas winner would try and go one better in the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday week.
However, the Newmarket handler has had a change of heart and will instead re-route the son of Dubawi, who was last sighted finishing sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, for a tilt at the £600,000 Group One test on August 22.
And while Notable Speech’s only other start at less than a mile ended in defeat when he finished fifth in last year’s Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, Appleby believes he has the necessary gears to cope with the drop back in trip.
Appleby said: “I was set on going for the Jacques le Marois, but I was beaten in it last year, and that left a bit of a sour taste, so we are likely to head to the City Of York.
“At the end of the day those three year olds, like Bow Echo and company, could be going over and I just thought dropping back to seven furlongs won’t do him any harm for his page as he is on his last couple of runs before going to stud.
“Still to this day if they hadn’t split in the July Cup it would have been very interesting. You have to bury him, and he was on a wing the whole time.
“The quick seven at York wouldn’t worry me as there will be a big field, and they will go flat out.”
A return to Dubai could be on the cards for stablemate Talk Of New York, who suffered a surprise odds-on defeat in the Group Three HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood last week.
However, the son of Wootton Bassett holds a Group One entry in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, and Group Two entries in the Betfred Park Stakes at Doncaster and Virgin Bet Celebration Mile at Goodwood, Appleby admits he could next be seen in action in France.
He added: “I could stick at the mile or I could go up to the nine furlongs with him, and there are a couple of races over that trip in late September early October time for him.
“If you were picking one of the Group races here you could take him back to Goodwood around the bend as I don’t think going back to seven furlongs is his trip as he does hit that flat spot then stays at it.
“He could be a horse for Dubai, and he went out there last year.
The defeat at Goodwood was a bit frustrating as I had it pencilled in that I would be jumping into the big league with him, but I don’t want to do that on his run the next day.”
A step up to pattern race company is likely to beckon for Cerro Blanco, who made light work of his rivals in a novice contest on Newmarket’s July Course on Thursday, which was his first start since tasting defeat in the Listed King Charles II Stakes on the Rowley Mile back in May
And following the victory, Appleby hinted that the Group Two Betfred Park Stakes at Doncaster, which he would need supplementing for, could be next on the agenda for the son of Wootton Bassett.
Appleby said: “It was a penalty kick, but we came up here just to get another run into him. I was a little bit concerned about the ground, and there were a couple of races on the all-weather, but I didn’t fancy taking him to one of those.
“We will now put him away and wait for the autumn.
Although Billy (Loughnane) said he wasn’t out of second gear, he said he could feel the ground was plenty quick enough for him.
“Maybe something like the Park Stakes could be for him, but I do think he will be better once stepped up in trip.
“He is a big lad that I’ve not done a lot of galloping with, even though we are privileged at Moulton Paddocks with the grass gallops, our ground is quick enough there.
“We have always felt he is a stakes class horse, there is no doubt about it.”
One horse that has created plenty of headlines in recent days is Fortitudine, who bolted up on his debut in a novice contest at Kempton Park on Wednesday by a staggering 21 lengths in a victory that Appleby admits took him by surprise.
He added: “I’m not going to stand here and say we thought he would do that, because we didn’t.
He was as weak as robin last year and was backward all spring.
“We started educating him over the last six weeks, and we took him to the July Course to give him a bit of confidence as he really wouldn’t get you excited at home, and I can’t say we left here particularly excited.
“That is a classic example of sometimes you have got to just let them off and run them, especially a Dubawi, as they can just look after themselves a bit.
“With his pedigree we couldn’t really afford not to try it.
If it didn’t come off then so be it as it wouldn’t be the first, or the last one, but thankfully it did.”
But while the manner of his victory has proven a real talking point Appleby insists he is keen to not to over face the son Dubawi, who is a full brother to Godolphin’s recently retired multiple Group/Grade One winner Rebel’s Romance.
He added: “I will run him in another novice race at Kempton Park in early October.
He is a horse that is a good bit lighter than Rebel’s Romance, but he is a three year old, and Rebel’s Romance never came into his own until he was four.”
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