Notable Speech aims to conquer sprint division in G1 July Cup

Star miler Notable Speech is the headline act as he turns his hand to sprinting in the G1 July Cup, with Symbol Of Honour and Spy Chief also contesting Newmarket’s six-furlong showpiece on day three of the July Festival, Saturday, 12 July.

Notable Speech has raced exclusively over a mile in 10 appearances so far, including exhilarating come-from-behind victories in last year’s G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes.

After finishing fourth on his 2025 return in Newbury’s G1 Lockinge Stakes, the son of Dubawi met trouble in running as he filled the same position in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Notable Speech bids to match the exploits of Tetratema, who captured the 2,000 Guineas in 1920 and July Cup in 1921, the last horse to win both races.

Stablemate Symbol Of Honour has won all four of his starts over the distance this year, with his only defeat coming when upped to seven furlongs for the Listed King Charles II Stakes on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course.

Supplementing a pair of Meydan wins at the start of the year, the three-year-old captured the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury and backed up successfully seven days later in Haydock Park’s G2 Sandy Lane Stakes.

Trainer Charlie Appleby said: “It is there for everyone to see that Notable Speech is dropping back to six furlongs for the first time. While he shows a lot of pace at home and over a mile, until you try sprinting in a race scenario, you never quite know. We think he has the natural pace for it and milers have made the transition before. He looks the class horse in the field and we go there with a lot of confidence.

“Symbol Of Honour is a progressive sprinting type, who has not done much wrong this year. We backed him up quickly at Haydock and he got the job done, which shows the type of horse he is. On quick ground over six furlongs, he ticks a lot of boxes and hopefully is another live chance.”

Spy Chief drops back in distance for John & Thady Gosden, having finished a clear second to Noble Champion in the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. The half-brother to Al Suhail had previously scored by five and a half lengths in a six-furlong novice at Yarmouth.

Saba Desert bids to emulate his sire Dubawi with victory in the G2 Superlative Stakes, a race his trainer Charlie Appleby has taken in recent years with European Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail as well as subsequent G1 scorers Master Of The Seas and Quorto.

Out of a half-sister to G1 Futurity Trophy winner Ibn Khaldun, Saba Desert looked the part on debut as he delivered a smooth success in a seven-furlong novice at Sandown Park.

Wild Desert, a five-length winner first time out at Haydock Park, brings in course and distance form after going down narrowly to stablemate Pacific Avenue.

The son of Too Darn Hot is a half-brother to last year’s European Champion Two-Year-Old Shadow Of Light and dual G1 winner Earthlight.

Charlie Appleby said: “Both horses are in good shape. Saba Desert impressed at Sandown and it was always the plan to head here. It is a race where all of them are feeling their way, but we think he is the right sort of horse to be very competitive.

“Wild Desert has two starts under his belt and, although he was beaten under a penalty last time, at least he gained some course experience. As with Saba Desert, hopefully we will get a guide to what we are dealing with heading into the second half of the season.”