Sporting Life
Rebel's Romance wins the Breeders' Cup Turf (image courtesy of Breeders' Cup)
Rebel's Romance wins the Breeders' Cup Turf (image courtesy of Breeders' Cup)

Charlie Appleby outlines Breeders' Cup team for Del Mar

By Graham Clark
15:41 · WED October 23, 2024

Charlie Appleby insists lots will hinge on the draw as to whether he adds anymore Breeders’ Cup successes to his already glittering CV at Del Mar next month.

The Godolphin handler intends to send what he describes as a ‘nice team’ to the two-day meeting which gets under way on November 1.

Headlining his team this year will be Betfred 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech, who will attempt to follow the hoofprints of Space Blues (2021), Modern Games (2022) and Master Of The Seas (2023) and give him a record breaking fourth win in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

After failing to handle the soft ground in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on his latest start, Notable Speech warmed up for his trip to America earlier this month with a racecourse gallop at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile.

Appleby said: “Rebel’s Romance, Notable Speech, Cinderella’s Dream, Beautiful Love, Al Qudra, Aomori City and Star Of Mystery is the team we intend to send to the Breeders’ Cup.

“They are sensible horses we are taking over there as we have a former winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf going over there, a Classic winner and a filly that has won a Grade One out there already so it is a nice team.

“For sure Notable Speech is the headline act, but it is pointless talking about any horses until you get the draws through as if you get posted wide in a lot of those races you might as well go home.

“Notable Speech is the classiest horse we have probably had go for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but like I said you need that draw. You can be a Classic winner like him, but you need a draw and if you are pitched wide it makes it hard for every horse.

“I was pleased with him after his gallop up here and he has come out of the exercise in good order.

"We saw he didn’t handle the soft ground in France and back on a quicker surface will suit him much better here.”

Stable stalwart Rebel’s Romance will attempt to secure a fourth top level success of the year when bidding to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf for the second time in his career having claimed the 2022 renewal at Keeneland.

This season the evergreen six year old has proven as good as ever with victories in the Dubai Sheema Classic, Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin and the 62nd Preis von Europa at Cologne on his last start.

Appleby added: “Rebel’s Romance is a horse everybody knows and he will run a good solid race.

“He has been rock solid and he has done nothing wrong over the last 12 months. Even his defeat in the King George at Ascot was still a great run.

“He has then come out and put himself on the same programme as a couple of years ago by then going on to win in Germany.

"He has come out of that well. He will do a little bit of work this week then will ship out to America at the weekend.”

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The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is a race Appleby has won three times in the past with Outstrip (2013), Line Of Duty (2018) and Modern Games (2022).

And Appleby believes there is little to choose between his pair Aomori City and Al Qudwa, who will bif to give him win number four in the race.

He added: “Aomori City ran a good solid race in the National Stakes in Ireland and from William’s point of view it will be a hard choice which one he rides as they are both good solid horses.”

Appleby will also be double handed in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which he claimed back in 2017 with Wuheida, after entering both Cinderella’s Dream and Beautiful Love in the Grade One contest.

He added “Cinderella’s Dream will be joined by Beautiful Love in the Filly and Mare Turf. Cinderella’s Dream is the pick of the two though as she has won twice out there already which should stand her in good stead.”

One race Appleby is yet to win at the meeting is the Turf Sprint, however he hopes Star Of Mystery can change that statistic by going one better than on her latest start in the Grade Two Franklin Stakes at Keeneland.

Appleby said: “Star Of Mystery is in great nick after finishing second in one of the trials out there and she has come out of that well. She is tough and has got plenty of experience out there and I expect her to be a player.”

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