---
title: "Charlie Appleby Sets Rebel’s Romance For Newmarket Return"
canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2026/06/23/charlie-appleby-rebels-romance-newmarket-return/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "News"
published: "2026-06-23T12:41:48Z"
modified: "2026-06-23T12:41:48Z"
---

# Charlie Appleby Sets Rebel’s Romance For Newmarket Return

## Charlie Appleby Sets Rebel’s Romance For Newmarket Return

**Charlie Appleby has confirmed Rebel’s Romance is being aimed at the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on July 9, with a Saratoga Breeders’ Cup qualifier also under consideration later in the summer.**

The Godolphin gelding skipped a defence of his Hardwicke Stakes crown at Royal Ascot, with Appleby choosing instead to keep the eight-year-old fresh for Newmarket’s July Festival. It is a significant reroute for one of the most durable international turf horses in training, particularly with the Breeders’ Cup Turf still shaping the second half of his campaign.

According to [Racing TV’s update on Rebel’s Romance](https://www.racingtv.com/news/newmarket-calling-for-veteran-rebels-romance), Appleby said the veteran has been pleasing him at home and that Newmarket carries extra appeal because it is where the horse broke his maiden on turf.

## Saratoga Remains In The Summer Picture

Rebel’s Romance could then head to the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes at Saratoga on August 15. That race, formerly the Sword Dancer, is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” contest over a mile and a half.

The plan keeps Appleby’s global options open after Rebel’s Romance returned this year with victory in the Dubai City Of Gold at Meydan. A Newmarket run would test whether the old engine is still sharp enough before Godolphin decides whether to launch another American turf campaign.