Talk Of New York produced an authoritative performance in the feature Group Two mile contest at Newmarket, taking the ÂŁ165,000 prize with plenty in hand and strengthening the impression that a major race may be within reach later this season. The victory was one of the highlights of the Newmarket racing results, with the three-year-old showing a marked improvement in maturity and racecraft.
The Wootton Bassett colt arrived with strong credentials after an impressive Listed success at Sandown Park in May and a third-place finish in the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where the horse finished behind Bow Echo and Gstaad.
Seven runners took part in the Newmarket mile, splitting into two groups as they raced towards the finish. Talk Of New York travelled on the stands’ side and moved smoothly into the lead a quarter of a mile from home.
From there, the outcome was rarely in doubt. Talk Of New York stretched clear in the closing stages to score by four and three-quarter lengths from The Lost King, who finished second.
Newmarket Racing Results Point To Bigger Targets
The performance has opened the possibility of another Group One opportunity before the end of the season. Trainer Charlie Appleby indicated that a supplementary entry for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day could now be considered.
Appleby was pleased with both the performance and the progress shown by the colt.
“We have always felt the engine was there,” Appleby said, while noting that the horse had previously shown signs of inexperience. He felt Talk Of New York had now taken an important step forward in his development.
The trainer also reflected on the horse’s third-place effort at Royal Ascot, where finishing behind two Classic winners had provided plenty of encouragement. More importantly, he felt the colt had looked a different horse in the preliminaries and during the race at Newmarket.
Appleby said the team had considered waiting for the Prix Daniel Wildenstein but decided to take their chance at Newmarket. A strong performance would keep the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes among the possible targets, although the horse will first be assessed following this victory.
The trainer also suggested that Talk Of New York could become an important part of the stable’s miling team in the coming seasons.
William Buick, who partnered the winner, was equally impressed. He described the performance as smooth and felt the colt had improved with each appearance this season.
Buick acknowledged that Talk Of New York had been compromised by the way the race unfolded at Goodwood on the previous start, but said the Newmarket performance was a much more complete display.
The jockey believes a mile is the horse’s ideal distance and expects there could be another appearance before the end of the year.
“He is a fast horse and he is very exciting,” Buick said, with the rider confident that the colt can continue to progress.
Pensando A Te Lands Rockfel Stakes
The other major race on the Newmarket card produced a dramatic finish, with Pensando A Te coming from behind to land the ÂŁ125,000 Group Two Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs.
The Blackbeard filly appeared to have plenty to find entering the final furlong, but produced a powerful late burst to catch Light Of Dawn in the closing stages. Pensando A Te prevailed by a short-head, with Ruby Moon a further head away in third.
The victory was Pensando A Te’s second win from three starts and could prove significant for next season. Four previous Rockfel Stakes winners have subsequently gone on to win the 1000 Guineas — Musical Bliss, Lahan, Speciosa and Finsceal Beo.
Trainer Marco Botti, who had previously won the race with Al Thakhira in 2013, believes Pensando A Te has the ability to develop into a Classic contender.
Botti explained that the filly had always shown ability and had progressed with each start. The move up to seven furlongs was another important step, with the plan being to settle her before producing a late challenge.
The trainer admitted he was unsure whether Pensando A Te had managed to get up on the line, but was delighted with the result.
Her pedigree contains plenty of speed, while the way she settled towards the rear offered encouragement that she may eventually handle a mile. Botti now intends to give the filly a break before preparing for her three-year-old campaign.
Winning jockey Silvestre De Sousa was also encouraged by the performance and believes Pensando A Te can improve further with maturity.
The filly showed plenty of determination despite requiring a different ride from the one De Sousa had originally planned. Her speed was again evident, but the jockey feels she could become even better next season.
De Sousa also believes settling her quietly could allow her to step up to a mile, adding another dimension to her future prospects.
The Newmarket meeting therefore produced two performances with clear implications for next year. Talk Of New York appears to be moving towards the top level among the older milers, while Pensando A Te has emerged as an intriguing Classic prospect for the 2027 season.
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