Noble Truth showed the heart of a lion to see off all comers in the G3 Jersey Stakes.
Having been gelded since his runaway win in a Newmarket Listed race in April, the 4/1 favourite was once again exuberant under William Buick as he made the running up the stands’ rail.
However, as his rivals loomed up to throw down a challenge, the tenacious son of Kingman kept pulling out more and drew away again near the line, ultimately winning by a length. Find (40/1) fared best of the three John & Thady Gosden runners in second, while Dubai Poet (20/1) was a neck away in third.
This is a second successive Jersey Stakes victory for trainer Charlie Appleby following subsequent G1 winner Creative Force 12 months ago.
Appleby said: “Give a lot of credit to Nathan, who rides Noble Truth out at home. This horse has not been an easy horse to ride. He pulls like an express train every morning.
“Nathan did a good job going into Newmarket with him at the Guineas meeting and we made the call to make the cruellest cut of all. It is just something that, if he wanted to go forward again, then it was the right thing for the horse. In the last 10 days, credit to Nathan, he said that Noble Truth was starting to listen to him.
“Will gave him a peach of a ride there and you could see for the first half-mile that he was in a better rhythm and wasn’t quite as headstrong as he was at Newmarket. When he got headed, I thought it would be interesting, and I didn’t expect him to find the way he did.
“I am trying to find a horse for a race called the Golden Eagle in Australia in September and he might be the type of horse for it. We’ll start to make a plan.”
Buick said: “You saw today compared to Noble Truth’s last run, when he was still a colt, that he was much more professional.
“He has so much energy and today he was able to channel it in the right direction. He’s got lots of speed, but today I was able to ride him a little bit whereas in the past I have been a passenger. He’s always had plenty of ability, and hopefully that discipline will be the start of him fulfilling his potential.
“I wanted to go on the rail, but he was just lugging away from it. Frankie came [on Samburu] and headed me and that kind of helped this lad get motivated. He’s very tenacious and really sticks his neck out. He is a horse we have always thought a lot.
“I’ve obviously got chances left. I’ve got five rides and I’ll be doing my best [to win Leading Jockey].”
David Egan said of Find: “It was a very good performance. He is the sort of horse who runs the same race in a handicap as he does in a Group race. It was a brave shout by the team to run him in this as he was the lowest rated in the race, but it was a great performance. I was happy that the field converged around him, and he got a lovely tow into the race. He does a lot on the bridle but actually found for me today and galloped all the way to the line.”
Dubai Poet’s rider Andrea Atzeni said: “He has run a blinder. We have tried different trips for him. He tried 10 furlongs and did not stay, so we’ve dropped him back to a stiff seven furlongs. We were not sure about the ground, but it has really suited him. It was a nice run and I think a mile will be better.”
Royal Ascot News Release
Noble Truth wins the Jersey Stakes (credit: Megan Ridgwell)
