Notable Speech maintained his unbeaten record by running out a ready winner of the Qipco 2000 Guineas on Saturday, May 4, 2024, remarkably landing the opening Classic of the season at Newmarket on his turf debut for jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby and owners Godolphin.
City Of Troy, last season's champion juvenile and the odds-on favourite, was under pressure at around the half-way stage and trailed home in ninth as the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Rosallion and Haatem took second and third, with Ghostwriter finishing fourth for trainer Clive Cox.
Speaking to ITV Racing, Buick said: "I've not known him for that long - I came back from Dubai in February - but I've had that much belief in him.
"Sometimes you go home at night and think 'have I lost the plot altogether?'
"His change of gear is incredible.
"The race couldn't have worked out any better and he's done nothing but improve.
"He's an out and out miler, he's got a great mindset and he's all about speed. I really think he's a horse that's going to keep improving as well.
“He is a great horse. He’s a proper miler and he’s certainly the fastest miler I’ve ever ridden - I think he can do things other horses can’t with his turn of foot.”
On winning the 2000 Guineas for the first time, the rider confessed his delight at finally satisfying an itch he's long wanted to scratch.
"I've gone close a few times and I'm delighted. These races are incredibly hard to win - they're supposed to be - but I'm so overjoyed."
Appleby added: "To be frank, you don't see many come off the all-weather to Guineas success.
"We've given him all the time he needed, and that time just to be a racehorse.
"A few lads sat on him last year and said 'he's a nice horse' but he was far too weak to do anything with. I'm in a privileged position to be able give them the time they need.
“He came out on the all-weather there and we all know what he did – he was three from three – in that last start, I think he put a bit of a ‘wow factor’ into what he achieved, with his acceleration.
“William did say ‘I think he’s a French Guineas’ horse because he’s quick, and so therefore we toyed with whether to go there. We were waiting for the Craven to see how the Guineas picture would formulate and we decided to put him in the Guineas.
“We brought him here for a racecourse gallop to give ourselves more confidence in running the horse and that morning here, he was exciting.”
