Lockinge winner Notable Speech in the winners' enclosure

Jacques le Marois aim for Notable Speech at Deauville in August

Horse Racing

Sun July 12, 2026 · 5h ago

Charlie Appleby insists that the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville next month remains the primary target for Notable Speech.

For the third year running the son of Dubawi bombed out at Royal Ascot after finishing sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes on his most recent start. Prior to that defeat, the son of Dubawi had shown an electric turn of foot to secure his fifth top level success in the Group One BOYLE Sports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Although Appleby has entered Notable Speech in the Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, a race he won in 2024, the Moulton Paddocks handler is keen to send him to Deauville on August 16 instead.

He reports the 2024 2000 Guineas hero to be looking ‘a million dollars’ ahead of his trip to France to contest the mile Group One.

Appleby said: “He is in the Sussex Stakes, but France is two weeks later and that is his number one aim. In an ideal world I would be taking Opera Ballo to the Sussex Stakes and that gives him a bit more time to go to France.

“He is in the Sussex in case Opera Ballo falters, or for some reason that race breaks down, so you would be daft not to stay in it. I don’t really want to run the two horses against one and other. I think Goodwood would suit Opera Ballo as a track.

"There would be no point taking Opera Ballo over to France for a straight mile again as it would be a waste of time.

“Notable Speech hadn’t looked great in his coat, but I took him up to the Darley stallion parade the other day to show him off and I thought he looked a million dollars now. I thought he looked brilliant.”

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As for stablemate Rebel’s Romance, the Classic-winning handler admits that he is yet to make a firm decision as to where the globetrotting eight-year-old will appear next.

The Dubawi gelding registered the 22nd victory of his career on Thursday when prevailing in the Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Stakes, sponsored by the Kingdom Of Bahrain, at Newmarket.

He added: “There has not been one thought process about what we do next with him. The Sword Dancer is there, but we still have time to think about things.

“He has got all the entries in the races in Germany as there were such early closing races, but there is not one target as such.”

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