William Buick is full of belief as the supplemented Talk Of New York faces the toughest assignment of his career to date in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
The heir apparent to Notable Speech’s lofty perch as number one miler at Charlie Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks base, the son of Wootton Bassett was steadily brought along by his team prior to Royal Ascot where he was an honest third behind Bow Echo and the reopposing Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes
A shock odds-on Goodwood defeat was rectified when dazzling in the Joel Stakes and with his elder stablemate heading Stateside for the Breeders’ Cup, Talk Of New York gets the chance to grab the British Champions Day headlines.
Buick said: “I’m delighted he’s been supplemented, he’s a very exciting horse who put it all together in the Joel Stakes.
“I’ve sat on him this week and he’s doing everything right so it will be very exciting to see how he matches up to the horses that are proven at that level.”
The only horse ahead of Talk Of New York in betting lists is Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Gstaad, who no longer has old foe Bow Echo to worry about.
Having pondered over a move up in distance, O’Brien has elected to keep the colt over the distance he has performed with distinction this term, forming part of a two-pronged Ballydoyle challenge alongside French Derby runner-up Hawk Mountain who drops back to a mile for the first time since winning the Futurity Trophy.
O’Brien said: “There is a good chance he (Gstaad) can improve on his last couple of runs. We think he’s a very good horse and I might have messed up the tactics a little the last day in France as they didn’t go overly fast and obviously Longchamp is a much quicker mile than most places.
“It is possible we haven’t seen the best of him and we always thought Ascot was going to suit him. Obviously he won a Coventry there and it’s a strong mile, which might really suit him looking at the way he races.
“We’re looking forward to him and hopefully it should be an uncomplicated race.”
He added: “Hawk Mountain is coming back to a mile for the first time this year and that will be interesting. With his last couple of disappointing runs the horses were a little bit under the weather and we weren’t sure if he was staying. We felt a straight mile in Ascot would suit him.”
French representation comes in the form of Francis-Henri Graffard’s French 2000 Guineas hero Rayif, who has been kept fresh since edging out Karl Burke’s Zeus Olympios (also in this line-up) for Prix Jacques le Marois glory in August.
Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for the Aga Khan Studs, said: “Rayif won the French Guineas on a softish surface, whereas two of the races he has won at Deauville have been on fast ground, so he is completely ground indifferent. The straight track is not a concern for him either.
“We did not run Rayif in the Prix du Moulin because it was only three weeks after the Marois, plus we wanted to give Erdenali a shot at a Group One.”
Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony has become a crack operator in this division since landing the Queen Anne Stakes at 50-1 at the Royal meeting and now returns to the scene of his finest hour.
Second that day was William Haggas’ More Thunder, something of a perennial bridesmaid earlier in the season but back in the winner’s enclosure over seven furlongs when last seen at Doncaster.
“He is a hostage to fortune in a way. He definitely needs riding cold and letting warm into the race,” explained Haggas, who also saddles Needle Match in the colours of owner Saeed Suhail.
“He ran great in the Lockinge and really well in the Queen Anne. He has got one in him I’m sure which is why we put Needle Match in and he will go forward.
“I still think a mile is well within his capabilities. He’s a 10-1 shot and rightfully so, but he is a pretty good horse.”
Ascot regulars Docklands (Harry Eustace) and Dancing Gemini (Roger Teal) add further depth to the Group One event, with Eve Johnson Houghton also running Zavateri in what will be his final appearance before departing for stud.
Johnson Houghton said: “He’s in really, really good form. It’s obviously a very, very tough race but it’s a championship race, why wouldn’t it be?
“We’re very hopeful that he’ll run another big race, he’s never let us down and I think he’ll run a big one.”
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