Notable Speech not getting tons of respect from bettors in run-up to Lockinge

For a champion, Notable Speech is not attracting much support for his second start of 2026 in Saturday’s Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in England.

Notable Speech, who won the Eclipse Award as the outstanding turf male of 2025 in the United States, was the 4-1 third choice in a field of 10 in early betting on Thursday for the $535,800 Lockinge Stakes at a mile on a straight course. Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin Racing, Notable Speech won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar last November in his final start of 2025.

In his lone appearance this year, Notable Speech, 5, was a troubled fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 10. Notable Speech raced in traffic through the final quarter-mile and was unable to recover.

In the Lockinge, Notable Speech must contend with two talented 4-year-old colts in Damysus and Zeus Olympios. As of Thursday, Damysus was the 5-2 early favorite, with Zeus Olympios at 7-2.

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Damysus, trained by John and Thady Gosden, won his third consecutive stakes with a sharp performance in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Newmarket on April 15. Damysus closed from slightly off the pace to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

Zeus Olympios, trained by Karl Burke, finished third by 3 3/4 lengths behind the well-regarded Opera Ballo in the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown Park on April 24 in his first start of the year. The Bet365 Mile was the first loss in five starts for Zeus Olympios. Last fall, Zeus Olympios beat Opera Ballo in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at a mile at Newmarket.

The Lion in Winter, third in the BC Mile last November, starts for trainer Aidan O’Brien and was 13-2 in early betting on Thursday. A 4-year-old colt, The Lion in Winter won the minor Heritage Stakes at a mile at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland on April 14 in his first start since a 12th-place finish in a field of 14 in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in December.

The Lockinge field includes the outsiders Sahlan and Jonquil, who were fifth and ninth in the 2025 BC Mile; Cicero’s Gift, the 100-1 winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last October and fourth-place finisher in the recent Bet365 Mile; and Dancing Gemini, who was second in the 2025 Lockinge but last of six in the Bet365 Mile.

Opera Bello, trained by Appleby, is not part of the Lockinge field but is a candidate for the Group 1 Prix Aly Khan, a race formerly known as the Prix d’Ispahan, at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on May 21.

The Lockinge Stakes has a post time of 9:35 a.m. Eastern.

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