Charlie Appleby reaches 100 G1 wins was the major milestone from Woodbine on Saturday, 12 September, as Al Hudaiba delivered a landmark victory in the Summer Stakes. The Godolphin homebred colt produced a strong finish over one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf to give Appleby his 100th top-level success since receiving his training licence in July 2013.
Al Hudaiba was ridden by William Buick and came from sixth of the eight runners before making his move in the closing stages. The two-year-old found a clear path five-wide in the stretch and quickly joined the leaders. He took the lead around 220 yards from the finish and, despite drifting out briefly, regained his line to win by 1¾ lengths from Oscar. Induction finished third, while Big Money Man was fourth. The winning time was 1:35.66 on firm ground.
The Summer Stakes marked Al Hudaiba’s first G1 victory and also his first appearance in North America. The son of Dark Angel had already made an impression in Britain, winning three of his previous five starts. His earlier achievements included a two-length success in the G2 Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on 28 July, while he had also won on debut at Newmarket in May.
Charlie Appleby Reaches 100 G1 Wins After Global Success
Appleby’s landmark figure reflected a career that had produced major victories across several racing countries. His first G1 success came in 2013 when Outstrip won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Since then, Appleby had built a strong record at the Breeders’ Cup, including four victories in the previous five renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Mile with Space Blues, Modern Games, Master Of The Seas and Notable Speech.
Rebel’s Romance had also provided Appleby with two Breeders’ Cup Turf victories, while Yibir had won the same race. The trainer had also enjoyed significant success on Dubai World Cup Night, where he had recorded five G1 victories. His record included three Dubai Sheema Classic winners, with Rebel’s Romance providing one of those successes in 2024. Blue Point had also been among his two Al Quoz Sprint winners.
Appleby’s Classic record in Europe had added further weight to his achievements. Masar won the Derby at Epsom Downs in 2018, giving Appleby his first British Classic victory. Cross Counter then made history later that year by becoming the first British-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup.
Adayar added another Derby triumph in 2021 before following up in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. That season helped Appleby claim his first British Champion Trainer title. Hurricane Lane also enjoyed a remarkable campaign, winning the Irish Derby, Grand Prix de Paris and St Leger after finishing third behind Adayar at Epsom.
The 2022 season produced another outstanding achievement when Appleby became the first trainer to complete an unprecedented European Classic treble. Coroebus won the English 2,000 Guineas, Native Trail took the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Modern Games completed the sequence in the French 2,000 Guineas.
Notable Speech added another major Classic success in 2024 when he won the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas. He became the first horse since 1938 to win the race without having raced as a juvenile. In 2025, Ruling Court and Desert Flower completed another notable 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas double for the Appleby and Godolphin team.
Al Hudaiba Added Another Woodbine Highlight
The 100th G1 victory came from a horse bred by Godolphin and represented a significant achievement for Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks operation. The milestone also arrived at a track where the trainer had already enjoyed considerable success.
Al Hudaiba’s victory earned an automatic place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, which was scheduled for Keeneland on 30 October. His performance also showed that the colt had continued to develop after his European campaign and handled his first start in North America successfully.
Appleby did not have to wait long for another top-level victory. Just over an hour after Al Hudaiba’s Summer Stakes success, Notable Speech returned to the Woodbine turf and won the Woodbine Mile for a second consecutive year. That victory gave Appleby his 101st G1 success and made Notable Speech only the second horse to win the Woodbine Mile twice.
The back-to-back victories turned Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day into a memorable occasion for Godolphin. Al Hudaiba’s success marked the 100th G1 milestone, while Notable Speech’s repeat Woodbine Mile victory immediately added another top-level achievement to Appleby’s record.
Charlie Appleby reaches 100 G1 wins after Al Hudaiba captured the Summer Stakes at Woodbine, marking another major milestone in a career that had produced Classic victories and top-level success across the world.
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