Connections open-minded regarding Inspiral after Royal Ascot defeat

Ashley Iveson
July 2, 2024 8:57 am

Prince of Wales’s Stakes outing did not go as hoped.

All options are open for Inspiral as connections look to get their star mare back on track following two below-par efforts so far this season.

The daughter of Frankel has carried the Cheveley Park Stud colours to six Group One victories over the course of the past three years, perhaps most notably claiming a thrilling victory at last year’s Breeders’ Cup under an inspired Frankie Dettori ride when stepped up to a mile and a quarter.

After being upstaged by her lesser-fancied Cheveley Park-owned stablemate Audience on her reappearance over a mile in the Lockinge at Newbury, the five-year-old was stepped back up in trip for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, but not for the first time Inspiral missed the break and she ultimately finished well beaten in sixth behind Auguste Rodin.

Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson is not ruling out the possibility of the five-year-old running over a mile and a quarter again under different circumstances, but races back at a mile will also be considered.

Reflecting on her Ascot run, he said: “She was slowly away again unfortunately and then of course she was long way back and they turned it into a real test of stamina.

“It was plainly obvious when she came into the straight and made her short-lived burst that we weren’t going to be troubling the winner.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Everyone has been pushing to try her over a mile and a quarter, but maybe, with hindsight, we should have run in the Queen Anne.

“I haven’t caught up with John (Gosden) yet, but she’s come out of the race fine and all options are open. She’s in the Nassau, she’s in the Jacques le Marois and the Sussex and all the right races.

“We don’t really want to rush her back so we didn’t put her in the Falmouth as we didn’t see any point in trying to rush her back for the July meeting.

“We’ll consider all the options and ground conditions and see where we end up.”

The decision to run Inspiral in the Prince of Wales’s allowed Audience to line up as Cheveley Park’s chief hope in the Queen Anne, but the front-running tactics that worked so well in the Lockinge were not so effective in Berkshire as he weakened into fifth behind Charyn.

Richardson added: “They were never going to give him an easy lead and he probably just didn’t quite get home over the mile there.

“He’s in the Lennox and the Sussex at Goodwood. He’s come out of it fine so we’ll make a decision where we go nearer the time.”