Notable Speech can bounce back from the sole defeat of his career last time out to claim the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday afternoon.
The three-year-old opened up with three successive wins on the all-weather at Kempton before making a statement victory in the 2000 Guineas, when he won by a length-and-a-half from Rosallion at Newmarket.
The Dubawi colt, going off as favourite, finished down the field in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month as old rival Rosallion took that Group One triumph by a neck.
The leading pair were set to go head-to-head once again today, but Richard Hannon’s charge was declared a non-runner shortly after 11am yesterday, with a respiratory infection put forward as the reason, meaning Charlie Appleby’s star only faces four challengers.
One of those is St James’s Palace runner-up Henry Longfellow for Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, with French raider Facteur Cheval, William Haggas’ Maljoom and the Ralph Beckett-trained Sonny Liston completing the amended line-up.
Aesterius can make it three wins from four in the Group Three Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes.
The son of Mehmas impressed on his racecourse debut, romping home by two-and-three-quarter lengths at Bath.
The Archie Watson-trained colt then stepped up to Group Two level in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but saw fellow Wathnan Racing-owned Shareholder take the honours as he galloped home in fifth, but not beaten far.
A drop in grade to Listed Company bore fruit as he landed the Dragon Stakes at Sandown and a step back up to Group level can pay dividends in the hands of James Doyle.
Fair Angellica can follow up a victory in France with another success in the Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes.
Richard Hughes’ filly had a hat-trick of victories in her juvenile season as she came home in front at Kempton, Chelmsford and Newmarket.
She made her return for her three-year-old season on the Sussex Downs but found Mission To Moon too good as she trailed in a length behind.
She returned to the all-weather at Kempton and comfortably saw off the field to win when two-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the pack.
Fair Angellica disappointed in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot, coming home 23rd of 30 runners – 18 lengths adrift of Soprano.
But she put that right in Listed company at Deauville, beating Francis-Henri Graffard’s Les Pavots by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
NAP
Notable Speech (3.35 Goodwood)
DOUBLE
Aesterius (3.00 Goodwood)
TREBLE
Fair Angellica (2.25 Goodwood)
YANKEE
Metaverse (5.20 Goodwood)
