The Gosden trained Inspiral is a strong favourite for today’s Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes (16h15) at Newmarket.
A Group 1 for fillies and mares, the day’s feature is run over the Rowley mile with a field of eight contesting the £165,355 first prize.
Frankie Dettori – must go close to reaching his 500 today!
Frankie Dettori rides the daughter of Frankel, and the legendary jockey requires one more winner to achieve 500 victories at the famous racecourse.
A reproduction of Inspiral’s win in the Gr1 Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August would make her hard to beat. She had the highly rated French trained colt Big Rock a length and a quarter behind on that occasion and is now back against her own sex. Track conditions are likely to remain good which will suit this multiple Group 1 winner, one of which came over course and distance.
Multiple French champion trainer Andre Fabre was victorious here with Esoterique in 2015, so his runner Mqse De Sevigne must be respected.
The four-year-old daughter of Siyouni has been a revelation this season, winning the Prix Rothschild and Prix Jean Romanet by narrow margins, and now bids for a Group 1 hat-trick.
She is yet to win on ground quicker than good to soft however, which is a concern but is rated 1lb inferior to the favourite, so she demands respect.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Meditate also enters calculations after a more encouraging fourth in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown last month. The Aidan O’Brien raider receives an age allowance from the top two in the market and with Ryan Moore in the saddle is another to consider, but realistically needs vast improvement on her seasonal form to trouble the favourite.
A more likely threat is the supplemented Heredia who is set for a first crack at Group 1 company on Saturday. A listed win at Haydock in August, she followed that up with victory in Group 3 company at Sandown last month.
Ascot also hosts a six-race card and Jim Crowley had the choice between Al Aasy and Israr as the retained rider for the Shadwell operation.
The two head the market and Crowley has sided with the Haggas trained Al Aasy in the Gr3 Jim Barry Cumberland Lodge Stakes. The course and distance winner was game in defeat when a half-length second behind Adelaide River last month and should go close at 15h25 on Saturday afternoon.
