Notable Speech was a high-class winner of the Lockinge, while at York, Juddmonte pair Item and Legacy Look booked their places for Epsom.
Notable Speech as good as ever in Lockinge
This might not have been an outstanding edition of the Lockinge Stakes, but it was a superior one, featuring several potential improvers still taking their early steps into top-flight competition. However, none of those challengers proved a match for Notable Speech, already a four-time Group/Grade 1 winner whose latest victory had come in the Breeders' Cup Mile.
A couple of winners the day before had signalled an end to a rare barren spell for Charlie Appleby, and there was plenty of confidence in Notable Speech who was sent off the 2/1 favourite, having had little go right for him on his reappearance at Keeneland last month.
The former 2000 Guineas winner had lacked a previous outing when only fourth behind Lead Artist in last year’s Lockinge, but this high-class performance, worthy of a rating of 126, puts him in pole position for next month's Queen Anne Stakes and for leading the older horses’ defence against the classic generation later in the summer.
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Not for the first time, Notable Speech’s sharp turn of foot proved decisive. Waited with and travelling well, he didn’t get a clear run two furlongs out but once shaken up approaching the final furlong, he quickened to lead in the last half-furlong.
The placed horses were a couple of those with progressive profiles beforehand. Runner-up More Thunder (remains 122p) took a keen hold but saw the mile out well on his first try at the trip for William Haggas and, with this run under his belt, looks set for another successful campaign with further progress likely.
Zeus Olympios (121 from 125p) stepped up on his reappearance at Sandown but just came up short on his first try in Group 1 company having led briefly a furlong out, though he should still be capable of winning a good race or two this year.
Unbeaten Item enters Derby picture
Earlier in the week at York, it looked an intriguing renewal of the Dante Stakes where the Ballysax Stakes winner Christmas Day and the Feilden Stakes winner Morshdi headed the betting, but neither of those could quite repeat the form of those wins. Instead, it was the sole unbeaten colt in the field, Item, who took a big step forward to put himself right in the Derby picture.
A grand type physically, possessing scope with the strength to match, Item was well backed returning from an eight-month absence having won a maiden at Kempton and a novice at Bath on his two runs last September.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsTaking a keen hold under patient ride, Item made good headway three furlongs out after Christmas Day’s stablemate Action had wound up the gallop entering the straight. Challenging under two furlongs out as the first two stayed closer to the far side than the rest, Item edged ahead entering the final furlong and had pulled clear of Action when shifting left in the closing stages, winning by two and three quarter lengths.
The step up in trip was clearly in Item’s favour and he looks sure to stay the still longer trip in the Derby judged on how he saw this out, beating a fellow son of Frankel into second, Action being a half-brother to last year’s Derby winner Lambourn.
The only concern, perhaps, for Epsom is that Item still showed signs of immaturity but ratings wise, a figure of 117p puts him right in the mix between Benvenuto Cellini (118p) and the pair who pulled clear in the Derby Trial at Lingfield, Maltese Cross and Bay of Brilliance (both 116p).
Juddmonte have an Oaks contender too in Legacy Link
The day before Frankel sired the first two in the Dante, it was his full sister Chiasma who was the dam of the Musidora Stakes winner Legacy Link owned, like Item, by Juddmonte.
Historically, the Musidora tends to be the strongest Oaks trial and the principals this year all found the required improvement to make it an up-to-scratch renewal. Despite the typically small field, the pace was an honest one and the first two served up a terrific duel before favourite Legacy Link saw off the challenge of the unbeaten Felicitas.
Fourth in the Fillies’ Mile when last seen at two, Legacy Link was surprisingly easy to back given she looked fit and well for her return, being the only member of the field without a run already this year. Racing in touch, she was first produced to lead under three furlongs out before Felicitas headed her with a furlong to go but Legacy Link rallied to get back in front in the final hundred yards and win by three quarters of a length.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsLegacy Link was her stable’s eighth winner of the Musidora since 2011 and John Gosden’s ninth in total which equals Sir Henry Cecil’s record for the race. The stable’s previous winner Soul Sister in 2023 went on to win the Oaks, while Emily Upjohn was only narrowly beaten at Epsom the year before that.
The still longer distance of the Oaks looks sure to unlock further improvement in Legacy Link, and she’ll head to Epsom with leading claims, this performance (rated 110p) only just behind what Amelia Earhart (112p) achieved at Chester the previous week.
The placed fillies both improved too and should go on again, Felicitas (109p) perhaps more one for the Prix de Diane rather than Epsom, whereas the Oaks trip seems sure to suit K Sarra (106p), a sister to last year’s Dante/Great Voltigeur winner Pride of Arras, who stayed on in third.
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