Talk Of New York returned to winning form with a decisive success in the Group Two Betway Joel Stakes at Newmarket on 25 September, putting a possible supplementary entry for Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes back under consideration.
Ridden by William Buick for trainer Charlie Appleby, the Wootton Bassett colt travelled strongly in the stands-side group of three on the Rowley Mile. He moved clear when the race reached the rising ground, with The Lost King finishing second.
The display was a marked response to Talk Of New York’s previous defeat at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, where he was beaten at odds of 2-5 by Shayem after connections lowered their sights. Before that, he had finished third behind Bow Echo and Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Appleby said the St James’s Palace run had given connections reason to approach Newmarket with confidence, while the Goodwood performance was one they needed to disregard. He added that the colt’s preparation had been encouraging and that a spring victory at Newmarket had also been a positive factor.
Appleby sees a more mature performer
The trainer said he had been content when the runners divided into separate groups because Audience provided pace on the same side as Talk Of New York. More significantly, Appleby considered the colt to have developed into a more mature racehorse.
Buick similarly said Talk Of New York had put his ability together in this performance. The jockey described the split-field scenario as frustrating in a small field, but said he had been able to follow Audience as his pace reference. He suggested the colt, who he said has plenty of energy, was now doing things in the required manner.
Appleby said Talk Of New York had presented challenges from the beginning, although not beyond those connections expected. The trainer’s assessment was that the key change at Newmarket was the colt’s growing maturity within a race, rather than simply the margin of victory. Buick’s comments also placed importance on how he settled and used his energy during the contest.
Appleby said there had been no concern when the race split into two groups, as Audience gave Buick a pace angle on the stands side. Buick said he trusted that reference point and was satisfied once Talk Of New York had settled early, an element of the performance which supported the trainer’s view that the colt had progressed.
That assessment gives the victory more weight than a straightforward return to the winner’s enclosure. Talk Of New York had already finished third behind Bow Echo and Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes, but Goodwood had interrupted that progression. His Newmarket performance allowed Appleby and Buick to point to both the result and the manner in which it was achieved as evidence of improvement.
Ascot remains an option rather than a commitment
Appleby said Talk Of New York was not currently entered for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at British Champions Day. However, he said the supplementary stage meant connections could consider the race, with their decision dependent on how the colt came out of the Joel Stakes.
The trainer said Buick had raised the possibility after the pair discussed whether to wait for the ground in France for the Prix Daniel Wildenstein. Buick’s view, according to Appleby, was that a strong Joel Stakes win would make the Ascot race a possible option.
Appleby also said some ease in the ground would not inconvenience Talk Of New York, describing him as a sizeable horse who hits the surface hard. That is relevant to any decision on Ascot, but it does not amount to confirmation of a run.
The longer-term emphasis remains next season. Appleby said he was working back from a potential Breeders’ Cup campaign in 2027 and did not say the colt would travel to this year’s meeting. He also said Talk Of New York had a substantial task if he were to match what Notable Speech had achieved, while stressing that the colt was now moving in the right direction.
Fortitudine’s Listed win in the Godolphin Stakes later on the card completed a notable Newmarket afternoon for Appleby and Buick, but Talk Of New York’s Joel Stakes response was the result with an immediate possible consequence for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.