Tag Archive for: Inspiral

Queen Anne the target for reappearance of Inspiral

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Inspiral will head straight to Royal Ascot after bypassing the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

The Group One-winning filly, trained by John and Thady Gosden, had topped the ante-post market for the Group One mile contest at the Berkshire track.

However, she was a surprise omission for the feature event at the confirmation stage on Monday.

Owned by Cheveley Park Stud, the daughter of Frankel won the Coronation Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois in her three-year-old campaign, adding to her success in the Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile.

While the Gosdens will instead be represented by Laurel, who is one of 16 possibles for the race won by the brilliant Baaeed last season, Inspiral will make a belated four-year-old debut.

Cheveley Park Stud’s managing director Chris Richardson explained: “There is no issue with her. Mrs Thompson was adamant that she wanted the filly to go straight to Royal Ascot, as we did last year.

“She looks great, but she is not quite there, is the general feeling. It is like last year, so rather than rush her, we decided to wait.

“It has been cold and miserable and it has just taken time for these fillies to come to themselves.

“We just felt she blossomed in June last year and we didn’t really want to rush her, so the Queen Anne will be her likely target.”

Coronation Cup comeback an option for Emily Upjohn

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Epsom’s Coronation Cup has been highlighted as a potential starting point for Emily Upjohn.

Narrowly denied when sent off the 6-4 favourite for the Oaks at the Surrey venue last year, the daughter of Sea The Stars then blotted her copy book in the King George at Ascot before returning to Berkshire following an 84-day break to put the record straight on British Champions Day in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.

With the decision to stay in training at four made after that taking three-length success, Emily Upjohn was pointed towards a trip to Meydan for the Dubai Sheema Classic in the early part of 2023.

Emily Upjohn, here ridden by jockey Frankie Dettori when narrowly denied in the 2022 Cazoo Oaks
Emily Upjohn, here ridden by jockey Frankie Dettori (red silks) when narrowly denied in the 2022 Cazoo Oaks (John Walton/PA)

However, having not come to hand as quickly as liked, she missed the opportunity to test her mettle against Japanese superstar Equinox and could now return to Epsom on Oaks Day looking to right last year’s wrong.

“She ran a huge race in the Oaks when just beaten there and had a nice swansong (at Ascot) at the end of last year,” said Thady Gosden – who trains in partnership with his father John – on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday.

“She was heading towards Dubai but with the cold weather in the spring, it didn’t quite work out. Obviously she would have been taking on Equinox which would have been an interesting one.

“The Coronation Cup would be a nice early one to start with if she’s ready in time, but we’ll see how she is and she’ll tell us.”

Another star filly from the Gosden string staying in training at four is Inspiral, who could head to Newbury on May 20 for the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, with all the top mile races on her radar this term.

Inspiral ridden by Frankie Dettori on their way to winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot
Inspiral ridden by Frankie Dettori on their way to winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“She’s wintered well and is in good order, enjoying her training and looks great,” continued Gosden.

“She is obviously a top-class miler and all these mile races will be the ones for her.

“She is certainly an independently-minded filly. She has plenty of character but is exceptionally talented.”

A return to Royal Ascot could be on the cards for recent World Cup night winner Lord North.

The seven-year-old won the Dubai Turf for the third year in a row last month and could now bid to repeat his Prince of Wales’s Stakes success of 2020 when running on home soil this summer.

Gosden continued: “He had a slightly curtailed one last year and it was fantastic to get him back for the Dubai Turf – it was a good team effort there.

“He won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes two years ago and he is a horse you could look towards that with.”

The young handler also identified Arrest as the horse most likely to provide the Clarehaven operation with Classic success in 2023.

He added: “He was proven at Group One level last year when just beaten at Saint-Cloud. He is a talented horse and always looked like a three-year-old. He has plenty of size, scope and class about him.

“He will start off in a trial and we will go from there. Possibly Sandown, but we will see how he is.”

Cheveley Park would love to give Dettori another Group One in final year

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Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson will be thrilled if star filly Inspiral can give Frankie Dettori another top-level success in his final season before retirement.

The legendary Italian rider recently announced he will bring his illustrious riding career to an end in 2023, with the Breeders’ Cup in November set to be the stage for his swansong.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Inspiral provided Dettori with two Group One wins this year, with her spectacular victory in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot followed by a more hard-fought success against colts in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.

The partnership is set to be renewed in the spring, with Thompson eyeing Newbury’s Lockinge Stakes in May as a likely target.

He said: “Frankie has won a few Group Ones for us, most recently with Inspiral obviously. She’s won three Group Ones and Frankie has been on board every time.

“He also gave Queen’s Trust a marvellous ride to win the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf, so that was a wonderful day.

“It’s been a marvellous association with Frankie and the Cheveley Park team have really enjoyed the relationship with him.

“What a fantastic career, what a wonderful talent and we look forward to him riding Inspiral next year and hopefully more winners for us as well.

“We’d love to give him his last Group One winner or certainly one in his last season.

“All is good with Inspiral and we look forward to hopefully aiming for the Lockinge.”