Godolphin have paid £70,000 to supplement Talk Of New York for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, and the bookmakers wasted no time in making him favourite. Charlie Appleby’s colt is a top price of 3/1 for the British Champions Day mile, just ahead of Rayif and fellow supplementary entry Constitution River.
Here is everything you need to know about the late addition before Saturday.
His season so far
Talk Of New York won his only start at two, a Kempton maiden in October, by five-and-a-half lengths. He began this year as a 4/9 shot for the UAE 2,000 Guineas at Meydan in February, but he had to settle for third, beaten a length and a nose by Title Role. Back on turf in Britain, he won a Newmarket conditions race in April and then took the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown by five-and-a-half lengths in May.
That earned him a crack at the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and he ran a big race in third. He led briefly over a furlong out before drifting right, and he was beaten a length and three-quarters by Bow Echo and Gstaad, who were separated by a short head. He was then turned over at 2/5 in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood, beaten half a length by Shayem after being given too much to do.
He made amends in style in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket on 25 September. Always prominent in the stands-side group, he went clear entering the final furlong and beat The Lost King by four-and-three-quarter lengths at 4/9. That performance took his official rating to 116, and it is why connections are prepared to pay to run him on Saturday.
Pedigree
Talk Of New York is a Godolphin homebred by the late Wootton Bassett, whose colts were in high demand at Tattersalls Book 1 this month. He is out of Usherette, a Shamardal mare who carried the royal blue to a dual Group 2-winning career for André Fabre. She won the Dahlia Stakes and the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, and she was third in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan. His full sister Show Day is a stakes winner, and the wider family includes Grand Prix de Paris winner Vespone.
What connections say
Appleby has never hidden his regard for the colt. “We have always felt that Talk Of New York was going to develop into a G1 horse,” he said after the Joel Stakes, and he believes the hood has helped him come good at the right time. “I think he’s just starting to click at the right time,” he added.
William Buick, who has ridden him in all seven of his races, held his hands up for the Goodwood defeat. “I had him too far back and ignored two proper horses in front, meaning he ended up with an impossible task,” he said, before adding of the Joel: “It was a lovely, smooth performance from Talk Of New York. He couldn’t have done much more there.” The longer-term plan is the 2027 Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park, which, as Appleby put it, “will be very apt with his name”.
His chances on Saturday
History is not exactly on his side. Only three of the last ten QEII favourites have won, Minding, Roaring Lion and Charyn, although six of them made the frame. Connections also have a point to prove in the race. Appleby is 0 from 2, with Modern Games his best effort in second in 2022, and Godolphin have drawn a blank with nine runners since 2016, finishing second three times. Most remarkably, Buick has ridden in every one of the last ten runnings without winning, finishing second three times and third once.
On form, Talk Of New York has a length and three-quarters to find with Gstaad, who beat him at Royal Ascot. However, he has improved since then, and the Joel was the best performance of his career. He also has the advantage of youth over a field that includes Queen Anne winner Ten Bob Tony and Coral-Eclipse winner Constitution River, who drops back to a mile after two third places over further.
Two things are worth watching. The first is the ground. Appleby has said the big colt hits the ground hard and would like some ease, so a dry week at Ascot would not be ideal. The second is how the race is run. As our Champions Day pace analysis shows, the QEII has been the most forgiving Champions Day race for horses coming from off the pace, so his prominent style is no guarantee of success.
All things considered, he is a worthy favourite. His Joel Stakes romp was one of the most eye-catching mile performances of the autumn, and with the hood bringing out the best in him, he has every chance of justifying Godolphin’s £70,000 outlay.
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