Sun Chariot aim for Inspiral

Adam Morgan
September 1, 2023 11:19 am

Newmarket next up for dual Prix Jacques le Marois star

Inspiral will skip a trip to the Irish Champions Festival in favour of seeking further Group One riches in Newmarket’s Sun Chariot Stakes later this autumn.

John and Thady Gosden’s daughter of Frankel bounced back to her very best at Deauville last month, providing her owners Cheveley Park Stud with a thrilling afternoon on the Normandy coast as Inspiral secured back-to-back victories in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

That victory secured her a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile later in the season, but before any Stateside ambitions enter the equation, the four-year-old has duties closer to home to attend to and she will head to the Rowley Mile on October 7 in search of a fifth top-level victory.

They’ve done it again! Inspiral and @FrankieDettori land the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at @fgdeauville 👑 pic.twitter.com/bCXCxnW5AU
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 13, 2023

“We all enjoyed a real high that day (at Deauville) and Mrs Thompson was thrilled. Richard (Thompson) obviously represented her and what a fantastic day he had and they all enjoyed it, as did I,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud.

“She’s in good form and we are probably favouring Newmarket and the Sun Chariot is a possible race for her. I think that is favoured.”

The Sun Chariot would provide a four-week lead into the Breeders’ Cup if connections did elect to travel to Santa Anita in early November and it appears a season-ending swansong in California could well be on the cards.

“I think so and I suppose it really depends on what she is going to do next year,” continued Richardson when asked about the chances of Inspiral cashing in her ‘win and you’re in’ ticket to America.

Inspiral led in by Richard Thompson (PA)

“If she is going to retire, I can see her going to America and retiring, but if she was to stay in training then I don’t know, and maybe she will make the Breeders’ Cup, but it would depend on what Mrs Thompson would like to do.”

Cheveley Park’s Sacred could also have the Breeders’ Cup on her radar, but will have to prove her well being before that is seriously considered having failed to sparkle in the City Of York Stakes most recently.

Trained by William Haggas, the Royal Ascot runner-up has now failed to find the scoresheet in three visits to the Knavesmire and could head to the more favourable territory of Newbury for her next outing, where she could bid to get back on track in the Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes the five-year-old claimed last season.

Sacred has bags of talent (John Walton/PA)

“We now know she just does not want to perform at York. She was in great form going in there but she was never happy,” added Richardson.

“Tom (Marquand) came back and said she went down unhappy, was unsettled in the stalls and just took a hold and was never prepared to put her best foot forward.

“We’ve got various options and the Breeders’ Cup is a thought. At the moment it is at the back of our minds when we were hoping it would be at the forefront.

“We might go back for the Listed race at Newbury which she won last year. That could be another opportunity for her.”