Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech is to have his first race over six furlongs in the Al Basti Equiworld July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.
Last year’s 2000 Guineas winner impressed connections enough in a gallop over the weekend to earn his place in the premier sprint.
A post on Godolphin’s X account read: “Update from Moulton Paddocks: Following a very pleasing piece of work over the weekend, the decision has been made to supplement Dubawi’s 2,000 Guineas hero Notable Speech for the G1 July Cup @NewmarketRace.”
Since he made his debut on the all-weather in January 2024, Notable Speech has been campaigned exclusively over a mile, with his career highlight coming on the Rowley Mile last May.
At the time he was still unbeaten and while he has found things tougher since then, he did win the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
This season he has been fourth in both the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
Notable Speech features among 16 contenders for the July Cup following the confirmation stage and is one of two supplementary entries for owners Godolphin, with Sheikh Mohammed’s operation also stumping up the required £36,000 to add John and Thady Gosden’s Jersey Stakes runner-up Spy Chief to the field.
The Godolphin blue could also be carried by Notable Speech’s stablemate Symbol Of Honour, who has won four of his five starts this year and was last seen edging out Arabian Dusk in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May.
Symbol Of Honour could also take his chance in the July Cup
Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, who finished third in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, is one of three potential runners for Wathnan Racing along with the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning and Night Raider from Karl Burke’s yard.
The latter faltered after making much of the running in the King Charles III Stakes at the Royal meeting and his trainer hopes he can fare better over a furlong further this weekend.
Burke said: “Night Raider is a very quick horse, there’s no doubt about it, but I think he’s a horse that likes to get into a rhythm and he’s more chance of getting into that rhythm over six furlongs than he does over five.
“I think over five at the top level they jump and go so hard early and he’s a horse that likes to jump and get into a nice rhythm, which I think he has more chance of doing over six and he obviously can stay seven as well.
“Six is the ideal trip, whether he’s up to a Group One at this stage of his career we’ll find out on Saturday.”
Other leading hopes include Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin, Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket and top-class mare Believing, who is in foal to Frankel and is set to make her final career start before retirement for trainer George Boughey.
