As expected, the winner of the 2,000 Guineas here on Saturday remains unbeaten after four career starts. In many other respects, however, the first Classic of 2024 veered wildly off script, as Notable Speech, a 16-1 shot, beat Rosallion by a convincing length-and-a-half. City Of Troy, the most eagerly anticipated favourite for the race since Frankel in 2011, finished ninth of the 11 runners.
City Of Troy rode a wave of fevered expectation on to the Rowley Mile, having dispatched all opposition with remarkable ease in his unbeaten juvenile season. One bookmaker had him as short as 6-1 to complete the Triple Crown, but while he broke well from the stalls and disputed the lead to halfway, City Of Troy was a spent force soon afterwards as one rival after another breezed past and he dropped tamely through the field.
Notable Speech, who did not race at two and arrived with three minor victories on Kempton’s all-weather track to his name, was one of the first to leave the favourite in his wake, somewhat to the surprise of his jockey, William Buick.
“He [City Of Troy] was in trouble a long way out,” Buick said. “I was conscious of not getting there too early with my horse, but I couldn’t help it. He just dragged me into the race, at the hottest part of the race, which is what he did at Kempton in his previous race.
“He was pricking his ears at the line. Every time you ride him, you always feel there’s more in the tank.”
The disappointment as six months of buildup to City Of Troy’s three-year-old debut evaporated in a few strides was palpable, but this 2,000 Guineas still had a high-class winning performance by a horse with a wealth of options, albeit most likely at or around a mile.
Charlie Appleby, Notable Speech’s trainer, was the champion on the Flat in 2021 and 2022, but eighth in last year’s title race with a sub-standard team of three-year-olds being the primary concern. This year’s Classic crop already looks a significant improvement and this win with a colt who did not see a racecourse until January is another fine achievement to add to his record.
“A few lads sat on him last year in August time, when you start to see these horses developing more, and they were just saying, ‘he’s a nice horse’,” Appleby said. “He was still far too weak to do anything with. As always, I’m in the very privileged position to be allowed to give the horses the time that they need with no pressure.
“He came out on the all-weather and he was three-from-three. In that last start [in early April] he put a bit of a ‘wow factor’ into what he achieved with his acceleration.”
The stewards inquired into the poor performance of City Of Troy, with Aidan O’Brien’s representative reporting that “the colt became tired on his seasonal reappearance in a strongly run race”. The explanation was noted.
In contrast to the colts’ Classic, there is no short-priced favourite in the field for Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas, with the top 10 fillies separated by 9lb, according to Timeform’s ratings.
The market is headed by Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel, the winner of three of her four starts at two including the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, where she found an impressive second kick to put the race to bed after being challenged a furlong out.
Newmarket 1.50 Winter Snowfall 2.25 Silver Lady 3.00 Cannon Rock (nap) 3.40 Star Style (nb) 4.15 River Seine 4.50 Tropical Storm 5.25 Cynosure
Hamilton 2.05 Sir Chauvelin 2.35 Capo Vaticano 3.10 Cavalier Approach 3.50 Where’s Jeff 4.23 Natzor 4.58 Good Morning Alex 5.30 Conquest Of Power
Salisbury 2.10 King Of Speed 2.40 Betty Clover 3.20 Sub Thirteen 3.55 Ever Driven 4.30 Kotari 5.05 Saw Hawkens 5.35 Young Merlin
Several of her rivals have run to at least a similar level, however, and this year’s renewal of the fillies’ Classic feels as open as any in recent seasons.
On that basis, and with most bookies paying four places each-way, it could pay to delve a little deeper in the lists. Richard Hannon’s Star Style (3.40), who made her racecourse debut 15 days ago, is an interesting candidate.
The visual impression of her five-and-a-half length success at Newbury last month was backed up by a very strong time in the conditions, and normal improvement for the race could well mean she outruns her price of around 16-1.
