Cheveley Park Stud homberd Inspiral banished the memories of her shock defeat last time out at Newmarket to claim a third career Group 1 win when she took the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (G1) Sunday at Deauville.
The victory secured Inspiral, a 3-year-old Frankel filly ridden by Frankie Dettoriee, a guaranteed starting position in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
Inspiral, trained by John and Thady Gosden, was held up in midfield in the early stages of the race as the Japanese challenger Bathrat Leon made the early running.
As the race developed within the final two furlongs, Dettori made his move aboard Inspiral, who quickened up smartly and struck the front. She was not to be passed and bravely held off the late challenge from the France-based Light Infantry to win by a neck. Erevann was another neck behind the front pair in third place. Order of Australia, the 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner, finished fourth, followed by 8-5 favorite Coroebus in fifth.
After completing the mile in 1:34.07 over a course listed as soft, Inspiral was cut to 8-1 with Bet365 for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile November 5 at Keeneland.
A daughter of Frankel, Inspiral had won her first five races before finishing second at odds-on in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket on July 8.
John Gosden speaking after the race, said: “There was a strong pace today and they went hard up-front. Then she switched off and relaxed and when she wanted to go Frankie said go and she hit the front a little soon to say the least.
“She's a 3-year-old filly taking on older horses and she gets a little weight for that which makes a difference no doubt, but I think she's showing her versatility. The key with her is to get her to relax early. She's very generous and wants to give but sometimes with that she can be a little overenthusiastic, but she's done it well today and showed a lot of courage in the closing stages.”
Gosden indicated that Inspiral would now be freshened up ahead of a tilt at the one-mile QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day October 15 at Ascot.
Dettori and John Gosden combined to win the 2020 Prix Jacques Le Marois with Palace Pier. John and Thady Gosden trained Palace Pier to victory in last year's race, also with Dettori in the saddle. Dettori also becomes the leading rider in the history of the race with seven wins after Sunday's triumph.
Dettori added: “She showed today that she's a true champion and I'm made up for the Thompson family and really pleased that she's back to her best.
“We went extremely fast throughout. She's a filly you need to know, and at the 500-meter mark she took me there and she wanted to go. She's the kind of filly that doesn't want to disappoint and I hit the front with plenty of time left. John (Gosden) thinks she could get a bit further, so I wasn't afraid about whether I would get to the line, and she galloped right to the end.”
Inspiral is out of the Selkirk mare Starscope, who second in the One Thousand Guineas and the Coronation Stakes. Her second dam, Moon Goddess, is a sister to the exceptional sire and champion miler Medicean.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington on November 4-5.
In addition to Inspiral, six other runners have also earned automatic berths into the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile thus far in 2022: Casa Creed, winner of the Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday; Baaeed, who won the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) in England; Jet Dark, winner of the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) in South Africa; Viejos Tiempos, who captured the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1) in Chile; Count Again, who took the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park, and Songline, winner of the Yasuda Kinen (G1) in Japan.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Inspiral to start in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 24 to receive the rewards.
The post ‘She’s The Kind Of Filly That Doesn’t Want To Disappoint’: Inspiral Prevails In Jacques Le Marois, Earns Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
