Charles Appleby

Charles Appleby was appointed as a Godolphin trainer in July, 2013, after 15 years working for Godolphin as a top assistant trainer. 

An amateur jockey when he was younger, Appleby landed his first Grade 1  victory in November 2013 when Outstrip winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park.  His first Group a win in  Europe came in October 2014 with Charming Thought in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Appleby added a second Breeders' Cup win in 2017 when Wuheida prevailed by a length in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. In 2018, he added a win with Line of Duty in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for his third win with his fifth starter at the World Championships.

Appleby won his fourth Breeders’ Cup race on Future Stars Friday 2021 but had to endure several minutes of high tension before it occurred. He had two of the favorites entered in the Juvenile Turf, Modern Games and Albahr, slotted in the first two post positions, but Modern Games reared up in the starting gate and then Albahr panicked and also reared up before dropping under the gate while the outside horses were being loaded. Albahr was scratched, and Modern Games, who was allowed to exit the gate through the front, was briefly scratched as well upon a veterinarian's recommendation. Del Mar stewards then reinstated Modern Games to run for purse money only, and the Dubawi colt won the race going away with a four-wide rally under William Buick.

One day later, Appleby’s magical 2021 run in North America continued as favorite Space Blues rallied to win the FanDuel Mile Presented by PJDF and Yibir did the same to score in the Longines Turf. Appleby trained those two horses for Godolphin as well, and Buick was aboard both of them.

Appleby continued to succeed with shippers to North America in 2022. He earned five more Grade 1 victories heading into the 39^th Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, and once there he and Godolphin tacked on three more wins against elite competition: Rebel’s Romance in the Longines Turf; Modern Games in the FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF; and Mischief Magic in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

More Breeders’ Cup wins were in the cards for Appleby in 2023 and 2024, with Master of The Seas in the ’23 FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF and with Rebel’s Romance, who won his second Longines Turf in 2024.